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. One in all our favourite species is the Elephant Seal, listed here are some enjoyable facts about these magnificent creatures and the setting 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 grownup 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 round 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they may weigh 150kg! Pups are generally 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 highly social animals and type massive teams or harems for a month throughout the breeding season. Elephants seals are among the biggest carnivores on the earth consuming squid and fish as the principle sources of food of their food regimen, and have been measured diving up to as much as 2000m deep and can hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and female of a species. Males could also be up to ten times the weight 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 his or her blubber in the course of the sealing days. Solely 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals truly 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 diversity, so there are still concerns over the longer term of these animals. Nevertheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 white elephant stuffed animals which live primarily around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their important predator is the Orca, and in the northern most a part of their range.. Large sharks. Leopard seals have also been recognized to assault and kill stray young. They're referred to as elephant seals on account of a lot of causes, partly due to their dimension 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's, 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 measurement they can move quick on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and young. Usually they are not afraid of man, nevertheless if disturbed whereas resting, reproducing or marking territory they can be a different proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Despite once being on the endangered listing, due to the protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is no longer in any fast hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this together. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions may sooner or later see some issues with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our last PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a leading skilled 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.
