Scientific Name: Mirounga leonina
Population: Estimated at close to 700,000 globally
Regions: Sub-Antarctic islands and Antarctic coastline
Destinations: Falkland Islands, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, Argentina
Average Length: Adult Males: ~4.2–5.7 m (13.8–18.7 ft); Adult Females: ~2.6–3 m (8.5–9.8 ft); Newborns: ~120 cm (3.9 ft)
Average Weight: Adult Males: ~2,200–4,000 kg (4,850–8,800 lbs); Adult Females: ~400–900 kg (880–1,980 lbs); Newborns: ~40–45 kg (88–99 lbs)
Diet Habits: Primarily deep-sea fish, squid, crustaceans and snails
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Mirounga
Species: M. leonina
English: Southern Elephant Seal
Danish: Sydlig søelefant
Chinese: 南象海豹
Swedish: Sydlig sjöelefant
Finnish: Etelänmerinorsu
Norwegian: Sørlig sjøelefant
Polish: Słoń morski południowy
Japanese: ミナミゾウアザラシ
Spanish: Elefante marino del sur
French: Éléphant de mer du sud
The southern elephant diet mainly consists of fish and squid, supplemented with snails and crustaceans that they catch during dives that can be very deep and are only surpassed by some whales.
Relatives in the Monachinae subfamily and unlike other true seals such as the crabeater seal, ross seal, weddell seal, and leopard seal, they did not adapt to life on ice. Instead, they are the most land-adapted of all seals, and the southern elephant seal's habitat is mainly the remote beaches that are used for breeding. Outside of the breeding season, they usually live in the sea along the Antarctic coast, but sometimes those big creatures come ashore to rest. They breed in the same colonies each year on several sub-Antarctic islands surrounding the continent, with the largest colonies on South Georgia Island, but are also seen in the Falkland Islands, South Shetland Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula.
When the southern elephant seal pups are born, they usually weigh around 40-45 kg. The female nurses them for about three weeks, and afterwards the baby elephant seal starts hunting in the water for prey, but its mother continues nursing for another five weeks until they reach a weight of at least 120-130 kg, after which it is left on its own. Male elephant seals are the absolute giants among all seals and among the biggest carnivores. In terms of weight among carnivores, it is only surpassed by the largest toothed whales. Thus, these majestic creatures are the heaviest marine mammals that also live on land. They range between 4.2 and 5.7 m long with a weight of 2.2-4 tonnes. Additionally, female southern elephant seals are five times smaller than the males, reaching up to 2.6-3 m in length with a weight between 400 and 900 kg, which is slightly smaller than the females of the walrus.
The southern elephant seals lifespan ranges from 20 to 22 years, but it can live up to 30 years. Usually, females live longer than males.
There are two different species of elephant seal worldwide: the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) and the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris). Although these animals share many similarities, they live in different oceans and do not overlap. The northern species lives along the coast of Baja California in Mexico to the southern coasts of Alaska. Additionally, this species is smaller in size and has a smaller proboscis (nose) compared to the southern seals.
Fact #1: According to Guinness World Records, the largest southern elephant seal ever recorded was 6.85 meters (22.5 feet) long.
Fact #2: The southern elephant seal can go without food for over three months.
Fact #3: The southern elephant seal range spans the Southern Ocean, particularly around Antarctica.
Fact #4: Southern elephant seal predators are killer whales and leopard seals, which usually hunt the pups and juveniles.
Fact #5: The massive southern elephant seal size is composed of 40% skin and blubber.
Fact #6: Male elephant seals fight to establish the hierarchy of the beach, and usually the largest one claims the dominant position.
Fact #7: Male elephant seals fight for leadership by raising their upper body, attacking with open mouths and fangs, causing bloodshed and scars on opponents.
Fact #8: Male southern elephant seals are five times bigger than females.
Fact #9: The largest males often show such mutual respect that they emit a loud, violent roar, appearing threatening without actually attacking.
Fact #10: The southern elephant seal size is usually 50% larger than that of the northern elephant seal.
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