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Elephant seals or sea elephants are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus Mirounga.Both species, the northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris) and the southern elephant seal (M. leonina), were hunted to the brink of extinction for oil by the end of the 19th century, but their numbers have since recovered.
Southern elephant seal harem on a beach on the Kerguelen Islands. Southern elephant seal world population was estimated at 650,000 in the mid-1990s, [1] and was estimated in 2005 at between 664,000 and 740,000. [18] Studies have shown the existence of three geographic subpopulations, one in each of the three oceans.
The northern elephant seal population was estimated to be 171,000 in 2005. [1] Beginning in the 18th century, northern elephant seals were hunted extensively, almost to extinction by the end of the 19th century, being prized for oil made from their blubber, and the population may have fallen as low as only 20-40 individuals. [1]
Elephant seals can reach over 13 feet in length and can weigh 4,400 pounds, or 2.2 tons, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They typically live about 19 years.
IUCN status and estimated population Ribbon seal. H. fasciata (Zimmermann, 1783) Arctic and subarctic regions of the North Pacific Ocean (blue indicates reduced summer range) Size: 165–175 cm (65–69 in) long; 72–90 kg (159–198 lb) [31] Habitat: Neritic marine and oceanic marine [32] Diet: Fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates [32] LC
Cal Poly researchers tag 10 seal pups to examine migration habits. Elephant seals are migratory, with the adults swimming north along the coastline as far as Alaska and out into the northern ...
Seals range in size from the 1 m (3 ft 3 in) and 45 kg (100 lb) Baikal seal to the 5 m (16 ft) and 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) southern elephant seal. Several species exhibit sexual dimorphism . They have streamlined bodies and four limbs that are modified into flippers .
There’s a reason the male elephant seals lounging on the sand look a bit ratty.