Elephant seals in Antarctica are a unbelievable sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most unique and recognisable species. One in all our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some fun info 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 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 will 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 kind massive teams or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the biggest carnivores in the world eating squid and fish as the primary sources of meals in their weight-reduction plan, and have been measured diving as much as as much as 2000m deep and might hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical difference between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to ten times the burden of reproductive females. Elephant seals may be found throughout the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for his or her blubber during the sealing days. Only 2 - three % of male Elephant seals actually breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to light the city a yr. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are still issues over the long run of those animals. Nevertheless, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which dwell primarily across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their important predator is the Orca, and within the northern most a part of their vary.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have also been known to attack and kill stray young. They are called elephant seals attributable to quite a few reasons, partly due to their size and also 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 highly effective he is, and thus so avoids fights with competing males. The trunk stuffed animal 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 will transfer quick on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and young. Typically 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 list, because of the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is not in any rapid danger. Because of Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. However, 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 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 several seasons.
