Call of the Wild
Photo taken during a road-trip up the California coast. Had to get out from under the Quarantine nightmare for a bit : )
While the Females are migrating, male Elephant Seals practice sparring with potential rivals in preparation for the return of the females.
Elephant seals are marine mammals classified under the order Pinnipedia, which, in Latin, means fin-footed.
Elephant seals are considered true seals and fall under the family Phocidae. Phocids (true seals) are characterized by having no external ear and reduced limbs. The reduction of their limbs helps them be more streamlined and move easily in the water. However, it makes navigating on land more difficult because they cannot turn their hind flippers forward to walk.
In addition, the hind flipper of elephant seals have a lot of surface area, which helps propel them in the water. Elephant seals spend the majority of their time (90%) underwater in search of food, and can cover 100 kilometres (60 miles) a day when they head out to sea.
When elephant seals are born, they can weigh up to 36 kilograms (79 pounds) and reach lengths up to 122 cm (4 ft 0 in). Male elephant seals can weigh up to 10 times more than females, and have a large proboscis.
Elephant seals take their name from the large proboscis of the adult male (bull), which resembles an elephant's trunk, and is considered a secondary sexual characteristic. The bull's proboscis is used in producing extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season.
More importantly, however, the nose acts as a sort of re-breather, filled with cavities designed to reabsorb moisture from their exhalations. This is important during the mating season when the seals do not leave the beach to feed, and must conserve body moisture as there is no incoming source of water. Northern elephant seal bulls reach a length of 4.3 to 4.8 m (14 to 16 ft) and the heaviest weigh about 2,500 kg (5,500 lbs.)
Elephant seals spend up to 80% of their lives in the ocean. They can hold their breath for more than 100 minutes. Elephant seals can dive to 1,550 m (5,090 ft) beneath the ocean's surface (the deepest recorded dive of an elephant seal is 1,735 m (5,692 ft).
The average depth of their dives is about 300 to 600 m (1,000 to 2,000 ft), typically for around 20 minutes for females and 60 minutes for males, as they search for their favorite foods, which are skates, rays, squid, octopuses, eels, small sharks and large fish.
(Nikon D500, 80-400/5.6, 1/1600 @ f/8.0, ISO 360)
Call of the Wild
Photo taken during a road-trip up the California coast. Had to get out from under the Quarantine nightmare for a bit : )
While the Females are migrating, male Elephant Seals practice sparring with potential rivals in preparation for the return of the females.
Elephant seals are marine mammals classified under the order Pinnipedia, which, in Latin, means fin-footed.
Elephant seals are considered true seals and fall under the family Phocidae. Phocids (true seals) are characterized by having no external ear and reduced limbs. The reduction of their limbs helps them be more streamlined and move easily in the water. However, it makes navigating on land more difficult because they cannot turn their hind flippers forward to walk.
In addition, the hind flipper of elephant seals have a lot of surface area, which helps propel them in the water. Elephant seals spend the majority of their time (90%) underwater in search of food, and can cover 100 kilometres (60 miles) a day when they head out to sea.
When elephant seals are born, they can weigh up to 36 kilograms (79 pounds) and reach lengths up to 122 cm (4 ft 0 in). Male elephant seals can weigh up to 10 times more than females, and have a large proboscis.
Elephant seals take their name from the large proboscis of the adult male (bull), which resembles an elephant's trunk, and is considered a secondary sexual characteristic. The bull's proboscis is used in producing extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season.
More importantly, however, the nose acts as a sort of re-breather, filled with cavities designed to reabsorb moisture from their exhalations. This is important during the mating season when the seals do not leave the beach to feed, and must conserve body moisture as there is no incoming source of water. Northern elephant seal bulls reach a length of 4.3 to 4.8 m (14 to 16 ft) and the heaviest weigh about 2,500 kg (5,500 lbs.)
Elephant seals spend up to 80% of their lives in the ocean. They can hold their breath for more than 100 minutes. Elephant seals can dive to 1,550 m (5,090 ft) beneath the ocean's surface (the deepest recorded dive of an elephant seal is 1,735 m (5,692 ft).
The average depth of their dives is about 300 to 600 m (1,000 to 2,000 ft), typically for around 20 minutes for females and 60 minutes for males, as they search for their favorite foods, which are skates, rays, squid, octopuses, eels, small sharks and large fish.
(Nikon D500, 80-400/5.6, 1/1600 @ f/8.0, ISO 360)