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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.
Grey seal males usually place themselves among a cluster of females whose members may change over time, [121] while males of some walrus populations guard female herds. [113] Male ringed, crabeater, spotted and hooded seals follow and defend nearby females and mate with them when they reach estrus. These may be lone females or small groups ...
Adult harp seals grow to be 1.7 to 2.0 m (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 7 in) long and weigh from 115 to 140 kg (254 to 309 lb). [1] The harp seal pup often has a yellow-white coat at birth due to staining from amniotic fluid, but after one to three days, the coat turns white and stays white for 2–3 weeks, until the first molt. [2]
Hawaiian monk seals grow to be 6-7 feet long, weigh 400-600 pounds, and can live more than 30 years. Males and females are generally the same size — the only way to tell them apart is to look at ...
These seals spend two-thirds of their time at sea. Monk seals spend much of their time foraging in deeper water outside of shallow lagoon reefs at sub-photic depths of 300 metres (160 fathoms) or more. [20] [21] Hawaiian monk seals breed and haul-out on sand, corals, and volcanic rock; sandy beaches are more commonly used for pupping. [13]
An elephant seal must stay in his territory to defend it, which could mean months without eating, having to live on his blubber storage. Two fighting males use their weight and canine teeth against each other. The outcome is rarely fatal, and the defeated bull will flee; however, bulls can suffer severe tears and cuts.
Northern fur seal males aggressively select and defend the specific females in their harems. [1] Females typically reach sexual maturity around 3–4 years. The males reach sexual maturity around the same time, but do not become territorial or mate until 6–10 years. The breeding season typically begins in November and lasts 2–3 months.
There’s a reason the male elephant seals lounging on the sand look a bit ratty. Bull elephant seals take over SLO County beaches. How will they spend the rest of summer?