Elephant seals in Antarctica are a improbable sight to behold on any trip 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 facts 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 up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal infants when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Within three months they are going to 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 female Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and kind massive teams or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest carnivores in the world eating squid and fish as the principle sources of meals in their diet, and have been measured diving up to 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 10 occasions the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals may be discovered across the Antarctic area, but are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for their blubber throughout the sealing days. Solely 2 - three % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to gentle the town a 12 months. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic diversity, so there are still concerns over the long run of these animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which reside primarily across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their fundamental predator is the Orca, and within the northern most part of their vary.. Large sharks. Leopard seals have also been recognized to assault and kill stray young. They're known as elephant seals as a result of a lot of causes, partly because of their measurement and also partly because of the male snout or trunk that inflates to impress and intimidate rivals when competing with other males for his harem. The depth and quantity of the sound is a stuffed animal 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. Benefit from the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, however keep your distance - despite their size they can move fast on land, and are highly aggressive when protecting their territory and younger. Generally they are not afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed whereas resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a different proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Despite once being on the endangered record, as a result of safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any rapid danger. Due to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this together. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities may 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 number one 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.
