Elephant seal is the name for the two largest kinds of seals. The southern elephant seal lives in the Southern Ocean. The northern elephant seal inhabits the northeastern Pacific Ocean. A male southern elephant seal can weigh up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilograms). The male northern elephant seal may reach about 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms). Females of both types are much smaller. They weigh from 880 to 1,300 pounds (400 to 590 kilograms). Elephant seals get their name from their large size and from the male’s long nose. The nose resembles an elephant’s trunk.
Males establish harems, groups of females with whom they mate. The breeding season lasts about three months, from winter to early spring. During that time, the adults remain on land and do not eat. Males defend their harems from other males with loud noises, threatening gestures, and fights. Females usually give birth to one pup (baby seal).
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Elephant seals swim with their hind flippers. They undertake two major migrations each year in search of food. The first occurs after the breeding season and lasts several weeks. Elephant seals then briefly return to land to molt (shed their skin). After molting, they begin a second migration that lasts up to eight months. The seals travel thousands of miles or kilometers in the ocean. They routinely dive 2,000 feet (610 meters) or more to feed on such animals as octopuses, squids, and sharks. Dives can last as long as two hours. Elephant seals may live from 14 to 20 years in the wild.
