Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)
Male northern elephant seals (photo credit: NOAA Fisheries)
Juvenile elephant seal (photo credit: NOAA Fisheries)
Description: The northern elephant seals are the second largest species of true seal in the world, after their relative the Southern elephant seal. Males are significantly larger than females and can grow to be 4 m (13 ft) long and weigh 2,000 kg (4,400 lbs)! Males have a large trunk-like nose, giving this species the name of elephant seals. Females can grow to be 3 m (10 ft) long and weigh 590 kg (1,300 lbs). Unlike many other seals, elephant seals rarely come to land. With the exception of breeding season and when they molt, elephant seals spend most of their life in the open ocean. They are known for diving deep and can stay under water for up to 2 hours before they need to surface and take a breath.
Habitat: Ranging from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to Baja California, Mexico, elephant seals inhabit a variety of beaches and nearshore islands. During breeding season, December to March, elephant seals will gather in the Channel Islands and other secluded islands in southern California and Baja California. In the summer they migrate north. Males will often go as far as Alaska, while females typically stay in the coastal waters of Oregon and Washington. They are often spotted in the mouth of the Columbia River, and occasionally on Cannon Beach when they are molting.
Diet: Northern elephant seals eat fish, squid, and octopus. They forage in deep water, regularly diving down to 800 m (2,600 ft).
Tide Pool Tidbits:
Males are typically 3 times the size of females. This is a very extreme example of sexual dimorphism, males and females of the same species looking different from each other.
It is estimated that nearly 80% of an elephant seals life is spent below the surface of the ocean.
Northern elephant seals were hunted to near extinction during the 1800s for their pelts, but they have successfully recovered and today the population is stable.