Elephant seals in Antarctica are a incredible sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of the region’s most unique and recognisable species. One in every of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some fun information 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 5 tonnes and measure as much as six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies 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 highly social animals and type giant groups or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the most important carnivores on the earth consuming squid and fish as the primary sources of meals in their food plan, and have been measured diving as much as up to 2000m deep and might hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a bodily distinction between the male and feminine of a species. Males may be up to 10 times the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals could be found throughout the Antarctic region, however are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for their blubber during the sealing days. Only 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals actually 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 variety, so there are still concerns over the future of those animals. However, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which dwell mainly across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their foremost predator is the Orca, and in the northern most part of their vary.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have also been recognized to assault and kill stray younger. They're called elephant seals as a result of numerous causes, partly due to their dimension and likewise partly because of the male snout or trunk that inflates to impress and intimidate rivals when competing with different 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. Enjoy the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, but keep your distance - despite their size they'll move quick on land, and are highly aggressive when protecting their territory and young. Generally they are not afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a different proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Regardless of once being on the endangered list, because of the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any immediate 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 stuffed animal points with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our last PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a leading expert 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.
