10 information about elephant seals chimu adventures weblog

Elephant seals in Antarctica are a fantastic sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of many region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. stuffed elephants Considered one of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some enjoyable information about these magnificent creatures and the surroundings they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many different 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 up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born weigh around 50 kilograms. Within 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 period for a feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and form massive groups or harems for a month through the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest carnivores in the world consuming squid and fish as the principle sources of food of their weight loss program, and have been measured diving up to as much as 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical difference between the male and feminine of a species. Males could also be up to 10 instances the burden of reproductive females. Elephant seals can be discovered across the Antarctic area, however are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They were hunted for his or her blubber through the sealing days. Solely 2 – 3 % of male Elephant seals actually 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 diversity, so there are nonetheless issues over the longer term of these animals. However, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated population of 150,000 which live mainly across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their major predator is the Orca, and in the northern most part of their range.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been identified to attack and kill stray young. They're known as elephant seals attributable to plenty of reasons, partly due to their dimension and likewise partly due to the male snout or trunk that inflates to impress and intimidate rivals when competing with different males for his harem. The depth and quantity 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, however keep your distance – despite their size they'll move fast on land, and are highly aggressive when protecting their territory and younger. Generally they don't seem to be afraid of man, nevertheless if disturbed whereas resting, reproducing or marking territory they can be a distinct proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Despite as soon as being on the endangered list, because of the protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any fast danger. Because of Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for serving to put this collectively. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions could sooner or later see some points with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our last PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a leading 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.