Northern Elephant Seal

 

                 Suborder                 Family                       Genus                      Species

                       Pinnipedia                        Phocidae                             Mirounga                        Angustirostris

 
Habitat: Sandy beaches and rocky terraces of the coastline starting from Vancouver Island Canada, south to central Baja Mexico. It is common for most adults to spend most of their lives in the depths of the ocean only coming to shore to molt and mate once a year.
Description: Adult males reach 4,500 pounds and 16 feet in length with an enlarged proboscis (nose) fully developing at about 7 to 8 years.   Females are considerably smaller measuring about 10 feet in length and on the average of 1,100 to 1500 pounds. Pups are born with a black lanugo (coat) that is shed about the time of weaning. (one month of age). Pups are unable to swim at  birth and weigh approximately 65 pounds and are about 2 1/2 feet long. Mother leaves the new pup after about one month, they remain on the shore learning swimming and fishing techniques from the older pups in the safety of shallow tide pools.
Food Source: Deep water, bottom dwelling marine life like ratfish, spiny dogfish, rockfish & squid.
Habits: Very deep divers, up to one mile deep, very large eyes are retractable for deep diving. While on land they congregate in large rookeries next to the water. 
Survival of the Species to date: Although the population was almost completely wiped out by hunters which used the seals for oil rendered by their thick blubber, they have miraculously been able to regenerate their numbers since 1910 where only 100 animals were left. This is deemed miraculous because when an entire species has to be regenerated with such a few animals, there are dangers of producing weak specimens due to DNA breakdown from so many siblings sired by the same male.  The mixing of families is integral to the overall strength and hardiness of the entire population.

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Dominant male guards the beachfront from other, less powerful males.  The loud vocalizations can be heard up to a mile away by human ears.   This sound is called trumpeting. The call resonates through the huge proboscis sounding to humans like a failing truck motor.

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There is a great difference between the appearance of male Elephant seals, the females and the youngsters of the rookery. however they all have large dark eyes and long thick whiskers called vibrissae.   These are actually receptors for sound and vibrations and appear to help them detect prey in the water, enhancing their ability to forage in the dim light of murky depths. It is said that the position that the whiskers either held back of stiffly forward convey states of attentiveness or aggression.

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Power struggles many times become bloody, but rarely fatal.   A thick layer of blubber serves as protection for vital organs during fighting on land and against frigid water temperatures in the open seas. It is a source of energy that is stored up for their life on land . Oftentimes newborn pups are crushed and killed during the wars for females.

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Oftentimes newborn pups are crushed and killed during the battles between males.

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Females conserve their energy after giving birth

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Northern Elephant Seal Rookery, Ano Nuevo Island, Northern California

Male Elephant Seals begin coming to shore in December to lay claim to the haul out beaches. They are soon to be joined by pregnant females, yearlings and younger non-dominant males.   In late January and early February after the females have given birth they are ready to mate.  Delayed implantation takes place which means the embryo will not begin to develop until the newborn pup stops nursing. Both males and females fast during the long stint on land.  For males if they traveled out to find food would find it extremely difficult to battle their way back to the beach.   While they were away, other males would surely steal their harem.

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Flippers can be used like hands, they have the same bone structure

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Yearlings or weaner pups spend their time a little ways away from the chaos of mating and birthing at the water's edge. They seem to enjoy flipping sand onto their backs, possibly as protection from the sun. It looks here like they are trying to get around the hard way and keep sliding down.

It is common for these weaner pups to attempt to steal milk from a lactating female.  Although it can be dangerous for them to venture into the thick of the crowded harem, it is possible that they could find a female that had lost her pup and be luckily adopted.
Author's note: The main reason that young Elephant seal pups are rescued each year in the late winter season is that since they do not know how to swim at birth so during heavy storms they get thrown about in the waves helplessly then thrown ashore.   There are numerous cases of weaner pups suffering from a disease that affects their molting process.  Other animals suffer and die from pneumonia.  Possibly this is caused by immune system breakdown due to high levels of toxins in the ocean. These toxins are in the run off from rivers that drain pesticides from farmlands, sewers that take away the waste of cities, etc. Is there any doubt why a shocking percentage of rescued animals have high toxicity in their bodies including PCB's. 

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