Molting Northern Elephant Seal, mirounga angustirostris.
An whined Northern Elephant Seal pup, mirounga angustirostris, molting at the San Simeon Reserve in CA. This is called the "catastrophic molting" because it is the complete loss and regrowth of the seal's fur, all at once. Other mammals, like humans for example, are continually losing hair and skin and regrowing it, instead of losing it all at once.
Size: 5074px × 3348px
Location: San Simeon, California
Photo credit: © Eyal Nahmias / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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