Elephant seals in Antarctica are a improbable sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive stuffed animal elephant and recognisable species. One of our favourite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some enjoyable information about these magnificent creatures and the surroundings they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many different species of animals to observe. Females are smaller and weigh around 7 - 800 kg. An grownup male Elephant seal can weigh up to five tonnes and measure up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Within three months they will weigh 150kg! Pups are typically born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches around the continent. The gestation interval for a female Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are highly social animals and form massive groups or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the most important carnivores on the earth consuming squid and fish as the main sources of food of their diet, and have been measured diving up to as much as 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and female of a species. Males could also be up to 10 instances the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals could be found across the Antarctic area, but are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for their blubber during the sealing days. Only 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals actually breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to mild the city a year. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic diversity, so there are still considerations over the longer term 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 fundamental predator is the Orca, and in the northern most part of their vary.. Giant sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been identified to assault and kill stray younger. They are called elephant seals due to a number of causes, partly because of their size and in addition partly due to the male snout or trunk that inflates to impress and intimidate rivals when competing with different males for his harem. The depth and quantity of the sound is a demonstration to others how highly effective he's, 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, however keep your distance - regardless of their size they'll move fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when protecting their territory and younger. Generally they are not afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed while 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 record, as a result of safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any immediate hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities could sooner or later see some issues with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our final PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a leading professional on Elephant seals and their behaviour. Dr. Mikolaj is a local of Poland, and was base commander of the Polish base on the Antarctic Peninsula for several seasons.
