What are elephant seals?
Elephant seals are large semi-aquatic mammals in suborder Pinnipedia (pinnipeds) known for their large snouts (from which they get their name) and tremendous bulk. There are two species of elephant seal: the Southern Elephant Seal, found on various southern islands and the coasts of New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina, and the Northern Elephant Seal, found on the Pacific coast of North America, all the way to Mexico. Male elephant seals of both species grow to 16 ft (5 m) in length, with a weight of 6,000 lb (3,000 kg), while the females are about 60% in length and 30% in weight. During breeding season, males acquire harems of 40 to 50 females and do battle over them. The species’ tremendous noses are used to make loud roaring noises, and aside from mere posturing, some battles are to the death. Elephant seals exhibit significant gender differentiation, with males clearly distinguishable from females. Elephant seals are both the largest of any type of seal and the largest living m
Well, to begin with, they’re enormous. The females are merely huge, averaging 10 to 12 feet in length and weighing 1,200 to 2,000 pounds. The males are another spectacle to behold altogether, ranging from 14 to 16 feet in length and weighing up to two and a half tons (5,000 pounds). They make many different noises; each with a different purpose, but hearing them one can’t help but think that they were the inspiration for the “Ewoks” of Star Wars fame. So named for their size and the trunk-like snouts of the males, elephant seals went nearly instinct in the Pacific Ocean a century ago thanks to poachers who hunted them for the oil that could be harvested from their blubber. However, conservation efforts both in Mexico and the United States were made in the nick of time and today the elephant seal population is as healthy as it’s ever been. For whatever reason, ever since 1961 when the first pup was born on its beach, the seals have chosen the Año Nuevo State Reserve as one of their mati
