Elephant seals are large ocean loving creatures that almost became extinct towards the end of the nineteenth century due in large part to hunters wanting their blubber for oil. In 1890 there were only about 100 Elephant Seals remaining. Their population has increased over the past 100 years and appears to be growing by 6% annually. It is now a protected species in the United States and Mexico. There are two species, the Northern Elephant Seal and the Southern Elephant Seal. The Northern Elephant Seal is normally found on the pacific coast of the United States and Mexico and is a bit smaller than the Southern Elephant Seal. The Southern Elephant Seal resides mostly on islands and coasts in the Southern Hemisphere. The fourth largest elephant seal colony in the world can be found in the Peninsula Valdes, Argentina. This is the only colony whose population continues to grow.
The elephant seal breeding season begins at Año Nuevo in December, when the first males arrive. From fourteen to sixteen feet long and weighing up to 2 1/2 tons, these huge bulls engage in violent battles to establish dominance. The successful bulls do much of the breeding, with most of the duty falling on the "alpha" bull at the top of the social ladder. At sea, elephant seals typically dive 20 minutes to a depth of 1,000 to 2,000 feet in search of food: rays, skates, rat fish, squid, and small sharks. The maximum recorded depth is 5,015 feet by a male in 1991. The females eat nothing while they are giving birth, nursing, and mating, and the males go without food for up to three months at that time. They are preyed upon by killer whales and sharks.
Elephant Seals are considered social mammals and gather in large groups on land called colonies. The groups that congregate in water are called rafts. Rookeries is the name given to their breeding areas. Often times the male Elephant Seals may be seen fighting for mating dominance and have the scars to prove it.
Elephant Seal
Elephant Seal
Elephant Seal
Elephant Seal
Elephant Seal
0 comments:
Post a Comment