Southern elephant seal - Mirounga leonina
The southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) is the largest species of seal in the world. They are dark grey immediately after moulting, fading through the year to a rusty greyish brown. Their most outstanding feature is the inflatable proboscis (snout) which reaches full development in adult males, and is thought to increase the effectiveness of the bull elephant seal's roar. Elephant seals use their teeth during fighting to rake the necks of opponents. Large bulls can be heavily scarred from fights with other males during the breeding season. The nails on their forelimbs help the elephant seal climb over rocks and are also used for scratching dry skin and irritation caused by parasites. Adult males: length 4-5 m, weight 3,600 kg Adult females: length 2-3 m, weight 900 kg Every year since the Wilderness Lodge opened its doors in 1989 on Lake Moeraki, this Elephant Seal was recorded every year, same time, during two-three months moulting among New Zealand fur seals on the Moeraki Coast.
Size: 4426px × 2950px
Location: Knights Point, Haast, New Zealand
Photo credit: © Michael Lidski / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: coast, elephant, haast, humphrey, island, leonina, lidski, michael, mirounga, rare, seal, smiling, south, southern, species, west, zealand
