Elephant seals in Antarctica are a unbelievable sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. One of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some fun information about these magnificent creatures and the surroundings they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many different 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 infants when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they may 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 type massive teams or harems for a month throughout the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the most important carnivores in the world eating squid and fish as the principle sources of meals in their weight loss plan, and have been measured diving up to up to 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and feminine of a species. Males could also be up to 10 instances the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals will be discovered across the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for his or her blubber in the course of 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 town a 12 months. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack white elephant stuffed animals genetic diversity, so there are nonetheless concerns over the future of these animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated population of 150,000 which reside primarily across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their principal predator is the Orca, and within the northern most a part of their vary.. Giant sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been known to assault and kill stray younger. They are called elephant seals on account of quite a lot of reasons, partly because of their size and likewise 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'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 - regardless of their measurement they will move fast on land, and are highly aggressive when protecting their territory and younger. Usually they aren't 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 as soon as being on the endangered list, because of the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any immediate danger. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for serving to put this collectively. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities might sooner or later see some issues with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our final PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a leading expert 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.