Elephant Seals

Description:

Average life span in the wild: 9 years (northern); 20 to 22 years (southern) Size: Up to 20 ft (6 m) Weight: Up to 8,800 lbs (4,000 kg) There are two species of elephant seals, the northern and southern. Northern elephant seals can be found in California and Baja California, though they prefer to frequent offshore islands rather than the North American mainland.When breeding season arrives, male elephant seals define and defend territories. They collect a harem of 40 to 50 females, which are much smaller than their enormous mates. Males battle each other for mating dominance. Some encounters end with roaring and aggressive posturing, but many others turn into violent and bloody battles. Sea elephants, as these seals are sometimes called, give birth in late winter to a single pup and nurse it for approximately a month. While suckling their young, females do not eat—both mother and child live off the energy stored in ample reserves of her blubber. Females give birth to a single pup each year after an 11-month pregnancy. Elephant seals migrate in search of food, spending months at sea and often diving deep to forage. They return to their rookeries in winter to breed and give birth. Though both male and female elephant seals spend time at sea, their migration routes and feeding habits differ: Males follow a more consistent route while females vary their routes in pursuit of moving prey. Elephant seals were aggressively hunted for their oil, and their numbers were once reduced to the brink of extinction. Fortunately, populations have rebounded under legal protections.

Habitat:

Ocean, beach.

Notes:

The Elephant Seal come to Point Reyes, California for only a few months out of the year for breeding. I was fortunate enough to see all four varieties of Elephant Seals which include Bulls (males), females, adolescence, and pups. - and apparently pretty unusual! The females body slammed each other with incredible force! The adolescent follow in the footsteps of their parents by also body-slamming each other for practice when they are older. There were fish remains scattered all along the beach. 100 yards away, medium array of sounds. Time elapsed: 1 hour. Wind speed I estimate to be about 10 - 15 knots.