Elephant seals in Antarctica are a unbelievable sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. One in every of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some fun facts about these magnificent creatures and the environment they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many various 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 up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they are going to 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 extremely social animals and type large teams or harems for a month through the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the biggest carnivores on the earth eating squid and fish as the principle sources of meals of their weight loss program, and have been measured diving as much as as much as 2000m stuffed animal elephant deep and might hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical difference between the male and feminine of a species. Males may be up to 10 occasions the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals can be found throughout the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for his or her blubber through the sealing days. Only 2 - three % of male Elephant seals actually breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to gentle the city a 12 months. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are nonetheless considerations over the future of these animals. However, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which live mainly around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their principal predator is the Orca, and in the northern most a part of their range.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been recognized to attack and kill stray younger. They are known as elephant seals as a consequence of various reasons, partly due to their size 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'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 measurement they will transfer quick on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and younger. Usually 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 once being on the endangered checklist, as a result of protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any quick hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this together. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities might 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 knowledgeable 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.
