Elephant seals in Antarctica are a incredible sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. One in every of our favourite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some enjoyable details 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 round 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 infants when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Within 3 months they are going to weigh 150kg! Pups are usually born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches across the continent. The gestation interval for a female Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and kind giant teams or harems for a month during the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest carnivores in the world consuming squid and fish as the primary sources of meals of their diet, and have been measured diving up to as much as 2000m deep and can hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to 10 times the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals can be found throughout the Antarctic area, however are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for his or her blubber in the course of the sealing days. Solely 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals really breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to mild the town a yr. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are still considerations over the longer term white elephant stuffed animals of those animals. Nevertheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which reside mainly around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their essential predator is the Orca, and within the northern most a part of their vary.. Giant sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been known to attack and kill stray younger. They are known as elephant seals as a consequence of numerous reasons, partly due to their measurement 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 quantity of the sound is a demonstration to others how powerful 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. Enjoy the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, but keep your distance - regardless of their dimension they'll transfer quick on land, and are highly aggressive when defending their territory and younger. Typically they aren't afraid of man, nevertheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a special proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Despite once being on the endangered listing, because of the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is no longer in any immediate danger. Because of Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for serving to put this collectively. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities could sooner or later 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 leading professional 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.
