Elephant seals in Antarctica are a fantastic sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of many region’s most unique 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 grownup male Elephant seal can weigh up to 5 tonnes and measure up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal infants when born weigh around 50 kilograms. Inside three months they'll weigh 150kg! Pups are generally 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 extremely social animals and type massive teams or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are among the biggest carnivores on the earth consuming squid and fish as the primary sources of meals in their weight loss program, and have been measured diving up to as much as 2000m deep and may hold baby elephant stuffed animals breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a bodily distinction between the male and feminine of a species. Males may be up to ten occasions the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals could be found throughout the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for his or her blubber during the sealing days. Only 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals really breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to mild 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 live mainly around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their major predator is the Orca, and within the northern most a part of their vary.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been recognized to assault and kill stray young. They are known as elephant seals as a consequence of a variety of reasons, partly because of their size and also partly because of 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 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, but keep your distance - regardless of their size they can transfer fast on land, and are highly aggressive when protecting their territory and younger. Generally they don't seem to be afraid of man, however if disturbed whereas resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a different proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered checklist, as a result of safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any instant hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions might in the future see some points with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our final PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a number one knowledgeable 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 a number of seasons.
