Elephant seals in Antarctica are a fantastic sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. Certainly one of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some fun info about these magnificent creatures and the atmosphere they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many alternative species of animals to observe. Females are smaller and weigh around 7 - 800 kg. An adult male Elephant seal can weigh up to five tonnes and measure as much as six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born weigh around 50 kilograms. Within 3 months they may weigh 150kg! Pups are usually born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches around the continent. The gestation interval for a feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and form giant groups or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the biggest carnivores on the planet consuming squid and fish as the principle sources of food of their eating regimen, and have been measured diving as much as up to 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a bodily difference between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to 10 times the burden stuffed elephant toy of reproductive females. Elephant seals may be discovered throughout the Antarctic region, however are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They were hunted for his or her blubber during the sealing days. Solely 2 - three % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to light the town a yr. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic diversity, so there are nonetheless concerns over the long run of these animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which dwell primarily around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their predominant predator is the Orca, and in the northern most a part of their vary.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been known to attack and kill stray younger. They're referred to as elephant seals due to quite a lot of causes, partly due to their dimension and in addition partly due to the male snout or trunk that inflates to impress and intimidate rivals when competing with other males for his harem. The depth and volume of the sound is a demonstration to others how powerful he is, and thus so avoids fights with competing males. The trunk is inflated with air which is inhaled and thus a loud bellowing sound is produced. Benefit from the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, but keep your distance - despite their size they will transfer fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and young. Typically they are not afraid of man, however if disturbed whereas resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a special proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered list, because of the protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is not in any rapid danger. Because of Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for serving to put this collectively. Nevertheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities may sooner or later see some issues with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our last PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a number one skilled on Elephant seals and their behaviour. Dr. Mikolaj is a native of Poland, and was base commander of the Polish base on the Antarctic Peninsula for a number of seasons.
