Where Can Elephant Seals Be Found? Northern elephant seals are found in the North Pacific, along the coast of North America, from Baja California, Mexico to the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands. During the breeding season and molting periods, they live on beaches...
Birthing and Breeding Birthing and breeding season takes place December through March. Adult male seals (bulls) and large sub-adult male seals begin to arrive in late November, with most arriving in December. As they arrive, males lay claim to a section of the beach –...
Delayed Implantation Shortly before a female leaves the rookery after birthing and nursing her pup, she will mate several times and become pregnant. She leaves the rookery for two to three months, returning in April or May for a month on the beach to molt. Once she...
Fasting Except for nursing pups, all of the seals in the rookery are fasting – no food and no water for their entire stay. They survive by metabolizing their blubber, providing energy, nourishment, and water. Water is one of the by- products of using fats for energy;...
Sonification A recent study produced some results and a presentation that is very interesting. Data on the tracking of 321 adult female seals were used to produce a “chorus” that captured some characteristics of their sea voyages-roughly 80 days post breeding and 200...
Age Classes Northern elephant seals can be categorized into multiple classes based on their age and gender. Females mature earlier than males and reach adulthood several years before males do. Pup = less than 1 month Super Weaner = 1 – 12 months Weanling = 1...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue browsing, we take that to mean that you accept their use. The Privacy policy on this site provides further information. Ok