Elephant seals in Antarctica are a improbable sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of the region’s most unique and recognisable species. Considered one of our favourite species is the Elephant Seal, listed here are some fun facts about these magnificent creatures and the environment they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many baby elephant stuffed animals various species of animals to observe. Females are smaller and weigh around 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 usually 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 extremely social animals and form giant teams or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest carnivores on this planet consuming squid and fish as the primary sources of meals in their food plan, and have been measured diving as much as up to 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to 10 occasions the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals could be discovered across the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for their blubber during the sealing days. Solely 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals actually breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to mild the city a yr. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are nonetheless concerns 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 stay primarily around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their foremost predator is the Orca, and within the northern most part of their range.. Large sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been known to assault and kill stray young. They're known as elephant seals resulting from quite a few reasons, partly due to their dimension and also partly due to 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 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, but keep your distance - despite their size they can move fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when protecting their territory and young. Typically they don't seem to be afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they can be a special proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered list, as a result of protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is no longer in any rapid danger. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for serving to put this together. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities could in the future 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 number one 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 a number of seasons.
