Southern Elephant Seals: Giant Slugs of the Sea? Or Just a Lot of Blubber?

Everywhere I looked elephant seals were piled up like heaps of exhausted Sumo wrestlers.  Sometimes it was easy to overlook them–mistaking them for sand hills.  The penguins must have thought so too, as they paraded amongst them willy-nilly.

The seals are not a threat to the penguins on land, it seems.  But as clumsy as they appear on land, in the water these giant slugs-of-the-sea swim like super-sonic submarines.  At the moment they’re moulting, which makes them very itchy and a bit grumpy.  Mostly they just sleep, scratch, snore, fart, and occasionally flip a bit of sand over themselves.  This goes on from about mid-November to April, which I suppose explains their need for a hefty supply of blubber, as they don’t go into the water  while they are moulting.

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Southern elephant seals are larger than their northern cousins.  Males commonly weigh up to three tons, and can measure five meters or more in length.  Females are much smaller, being less than two tons and three meters.  The girls can dive for twenty minutes at a time, whereas the guys can go for an hour or more.  But specifications aside, what I find so interesting about the bull elephant seals is their faces.  They all just seem like huge blobs of blubber, until you see the face.  I know, the scientists among you will be rolling your eyes at my anthropomorphic descriptions, but how can you not make something of these expressions?

Do that to me one more time

Oooooh, Mamma!

They seem to have the same ability to look totally hedonistic as cats do.  They can look:

Bored

Blissful

Worried

Suspicious

Really pissed off

OR

Downright Snotty!

They were just as silly looking in groups–piles, really.  One of the favorite formations, when they weren’t just stacked up randomly, was lined up, top to tail, in a row.

Nine elephant seals all in a row

What’s with the sandbags? Are we expecting a hurricane?

I haven’t said much about the juveniles and females.  The big bulls are just so…well, male.  But here are a few shots of some young males  play-fighting. . . all a part of their training to become alpha males when they grow up.
They can mate at 4 or 5 years of age, but can’t become alpha males until around 8 years old.

Practicing to be Top Seal

Not as lovey-dovey as it looks!

My, what big  eyes you have…

Now, I have one more ‘face’ I want to share, and I want to know who he reminds you of… Just add your nomination in the comments section.

Who do you think he look like?

It was entirely surreal; walking amongst these strange creatures and being surrounded by busy little  penguins, all at the same time.  Surreal, maybe.  But also very memorable.    I’d go back tomorrow.

Featured writer: Suellen Carey-Clarke