Elephant Seal

Mirounga, commonly known as Elephant Seal, are enormous, earless seals that travel the ocean. The resemblance with elephant’s trunk in males has given them their common name. They come in two varieties: northern and southern. Both the Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga Angustirostris) and the Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga Leonina) are the world’s biggest seals.

These marine animals belong to the family Phocidae and are regarded as “real seals.” Phocids, or true seal, are distinguished by their shrunken appendages and lack of an external ear.

Appearance

The large noses in males are thought to be a secondary sexual feature, they function as a kind of rebreather, with chambers created to capture moisture from exhalations and reabsorb it. Males generally measure between 14 to 16 feet in length and weigh between 5,000 and 7,000 pounds, making them extraordinarily huge animals. 

Elephant Seals from the south are often bigger than those from the north.

They have a broad, round face with very large eyes. In comparison to the southern variety, adult male Elephant Seals from the North often have bigger snouts and a thicker chest region with red coloring. Females can be distinguished across species by looking at their nose features since they lack big snouts. Southern females typically have a smaller, blunter nose as compared to northern females.

Due to their enormous size, and fat distribution, they go on fasting periods that can last well into three months between feeding times. Adults return to land between March and August to molt, with males returning later than females. When they molt, big sections of their old skin are removed along with their short, thick hair. The process of molting lasts 4 to 5 weeks.

Habitat

They have a wide distribution and can be found in various habitats across the globe. These seals spend around nine months in the water. Most of this time is spent submerged, diving for 20 to 30 minutes to depths of around 1,000 – 2,500 feet, with only brief resurfacing stops.

Sand beaches are their preferred habitat when on land. 

Northern Elephant Seals breed on offshore islands and mainland beaches along the Pacific coast of North America, from Baja California to British Columbia, and forage in the offshore waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Southern breed live on sub-Antarctic and Antarctic islands, as well as the southern coasts of Argentina and Chile, and forage in the offshore waters of the Southern Ocean.

Both species spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore primarily for breeding and molting on sandy or rocky beaches. They can dive to great depths and remain submerged for extended periods while foraging for prey.

Diet 

Elephant Seals are carnivores that mostly eat fish and squid. Moreover, they eat various deep-water species like hake, small sharks, rays, and ratfish, which they hunt across a wide range from Baja California to Vancouver Island.

Adults return to their feeding areas again between the spring/summer molt and the winter breeding season.

They travel great distances in search of food, spending months at sea and frequently going quite deep to hunt. These seals under no circumstances go out to feed during mating season.

Reproduction

Male Elephant Seals establish and guard territory when the mating season approaches. In contrast to their huge partners, they gather a harem of tiny females. Males compete with one another for control of mating. Many confrontations culminate in violent, brutal fighting, while others only result in shouting and combative posturing. 

Particularly during the mating season, the bull, or male elephant seal, makes extremely loud roaring noises with its nose. Elephant Seals lose a significant amount of weight during the breeding season, with cases of a 36% shed in their total body weight. Female Elephant Seals give birth to a single pup in the late winter and raise it for about a month. After an 11-month pregnancy, females give birth to one pup each year.

Threats 

These marine mammals may become caught in fishing lines, either swimming away with the line still connected or being anchored and possibly drowning if they are unable to come on the surface for air. Elephant Seals that become entangled may drag and swim for long distances with connected gear, resulting in weariness, limited feeding capacity, or serious damage, which may lead to diminished reproductive success, poorer overall survival, and/or mortality. 

After whales became scarce, elephant seals were hunted to the brink of extinction primarily for their blubber, which people used for lamp oil.

They may be hurt or killed by accidental vessel hits. The expected increase in vessel traffic brought on by the opening of polar shipping routes and arctic sea ice continuing to melt would increase environmental noise and air pollution, in addition to the likelihood of vessel collisions.

8 More Facts About the Elephant Seal

1. They are highly social creatures.
2. The northern elephant seal is the second largest seal in the world, after the southern elephant seal.
3. Elephant Seals are among the most prominent examples of sexual dimorphism.
4. They can hold their breath for up to two hours underwater.
5. Females molt in the spring, juveniles in the early summer and males in the late summer.
6. Their pups weigh around 32 kg at birth.
7. These seals have a thick layer of blubber that helps them maintain body temperature and store energy.
8. Elephant seals are expert divers, holding their breath over an hour and reaching depths of 1,500 meters in search of squid and fish.

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