Elephant seals in Antarctica are a unbelievable sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. Certainly one of our favourite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some enjoyable information about these magnificent creatures and the setting they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many various 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 round 50 kilograms. Within 3 months they may weigh 150kg! Pups are generally born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches across the continent. The gestation period for a feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and type large teams or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are among the largest carnivores on this planet eating squid and fish as the primary sources of meals of their weight loss plan, and have been measured diving up to up to 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical difference between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to 10 occasions the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals might 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 through the sealing days. Only 2 - three % of male Elephant seals really breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to light town a year. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are still issues over the future of those animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of elephant stuffed animal 150,000 which reside mainly across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their important predator is the Orca, and within the northern most part of their vary.. Large sharks. Leopard seals have also been known to assault and kill stray younger. They are known as elephant seals attributable to numerous causes, partly due to 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 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. Enjoy the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, but keep your distance - despite their dimension they will transfer fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and young. Usually they don't seem to be afraid of man, however if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a unique proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Regardless of once being on the endangered checklist, because of the protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any speedy danger. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. Nonetheless, 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 last 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.
