Elephant seals in Antarctica are a incredible sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most unique and recognisable species. One in every of our favourite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some fun details 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 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 infants when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they'll weigh 150kg! Pups are typically born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches around the continent. The gestation period for a female Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and form giant teams or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are among the most important carnivores in the world consuming squid and fish as the principle sources of meals in their eating regimen, and have been measured diving up to up to 2000m 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 could also be up to 10 times the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals may be found across the Antarctic area, but are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They were hunted for their blubber through the sealing days. Only 2 - three % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to gentle the city a year. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic diversity, so there are still considerations over the long run of these animals. However, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which reside primarily around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their essential predator is the Orca, and in the northern most a part of their vary.. Large sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been known to assault and kill stray young. They are referred to as elephant seals as a consequence of quite a few causes, 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 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 - regardless of their size they can transfer fast on land, and are highly 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 unique proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered record, due to the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is no longer in any speedy hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for serving stuffed elephant toy to put this collectively. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions could in the future 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 local of Poland, and was base commander of the Polish base on the Antarctic Peninsula for a number of seasons.
