Elephant seals and fur seals, oh my
Imagine walking through wildlife that has no fear of your presence, a nod of the head, a shuffle to a more comfortable position, common motions as if you weren't even there. Annenkov Island was an oasis of no humans, indigenous wildlife species were the rulers of their domain. Elephant seals, fur seals, penguins, and a myriad of birds coexisting: eat or be eaten.
Let's start today with our Antarctic fur seal: According to the guide, the only eared seal on South Georgia, averaging in length between 1.5 and 2 meters. With a diet of predominantly krill, fish, and penguins. This nighttime feeder will come ashore in early spring (November) to give birth, and breed. Many of the seals we saw were close to giving birth and then jumping right back into their breeding cycle. The pups are nursed for five to eight days and the mothers mate, starting the cycle all over again.
According to the book I am referencing, the Antarctic fur seal has recovered well since the cessation of exploitation (hunting for their fur) with 95% of the species living on South Georgia. Sadly the number one cause of mortality in the Antarctic fur seal is getting tangled in fishing nets and other marine debris.
Greetings to the southern elephant seal, the big Southern Ocean
seal, with the males weighing up to 4,500 kilograms (over 9,900 lbs).
What is so interesting about this species is that they are rarely seen
at sea, spending most of their time below the surface. Most dives last
for 30 minutes to over an hour, reaching depths of 400 to 1,000 meters.
Male southern elephant seals are polygynous (today's science word) and have harems of up to one hundred females, and are known as the 'beachmasters.'
Females come ashore in late September and October to pup, and then breed similar to our fur seals. The female leaves after approximately 25 days and returns to the sea.
Elephant seals will then come ashore in summer to molt, which lasts two to three weeks. I was fascinated to learn that the molt is not only the shedding of hair, but also the skin that the hair is attached to. An elephant seal diet is mostly fish, squid, and crustaceans.
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