Elephant seals in Antarctica are a improbable 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 enjoyable information about these magnificent creatures and the setting they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many different species of animals to observe. Females are smaller and weigh round 7 - 800 kg. An grownup 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 around 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they may weigh 150kg! Pups are usually born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches around the continent. The gestation interval for a feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and kind large teams or harems for a month throughout the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest white elephant stuffed animals carnivores on this planet eating squid and fish as the main sources of food of their weight loss program, 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 could also be up to ten times the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals might be found throughout the Antarctic area, however are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They were hunted for his or her blubber in the course of the sealing days. Solely 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals actually breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to gentle the town a year. 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 those animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which live mainly across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their fundamental predator is the Orca, and within the northern most part of their range.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have also been identified to attack and kill stray young. They're referred to as elephant seals attributable to a variety of causes, partly because of their size and likewise 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 move fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when protecting their territory and younger. Generally they are not 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 in your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered checklist, as a result of protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is not in any fast hazard. Due to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions may 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 skilled 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.
