An Elephant Seal’s Deep Dive When diving to hunt, the northern elephant seal first exhales, emptying its lungs of almost all air. This reduces buoyancy and protects the seal from the bends (decompression sickness). All of the oxygen used to provide the energy...
The seals employ a grab and swallow technique of feeding, taking such prey as hake, dogfish, rays, octopus and crabs, generally from the ocean bottom. The danger from orcas is greater here than in mid-ocean depths, but the quantity and quality of food allow the adult...
The Dive Response Like all seals, elephant seals undergo a set of physical changes when they dive – called the dive response. The dive response includes a significant drop in heart rate, constriction of blood vessels in the periphery, and cessation of breathing...
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