Elephant seals in Antarctica are a fantastic 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, here are some enjoyable details about these magnificent creatures and the surroundings 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 grownup male Elephant seal can weigh up to 5 tonnes and measure up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal infants when born weigh around 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they are going to weigh 150kg! Pups are generally born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches across the continent. The gestation interval for a feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are highly social animals and form giant teams or harems for a month during the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the biggest carnivores on the planet eating squid and fish as the main sources of food of their weight-reduction plan, 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 distinction between the male and female of a species. Males may be up stuffed elephants to 10 times the burden of reproductive females. Elephant seals will be found throughout the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They were 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 the city a 12 months. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are still concerns over the future of these animals. Nevertheless, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which dwell mainly across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their main predator is the Orca, and within the northern most part of their range.. Giant sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been recognized to attack and kill stray younger. They are referred to as elephant seals attributable to a lot of reasons, partly because of their measurement and in addition 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 volume of the sound is a demonstration to others how highly effective 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. Benefit from the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, however keep your distance - regardless of their size they'll transfer fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and younger. Usually they don't seem to be afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a special proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Regardless of once being on the endangered listing, due to the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any rapid hazard. Due to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities might 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 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 several seasons.
