Elephant seals are the largest
of all seals.
Males can grow to 4.5m long (15ft)
and weigh up to 4 tonnes (8 800lb). Like fur seals, they show a
strong sexual dimorphism (difference in size between the males and
females), females grow to about 2.8m (9ft) and 900kg (2000lb). A
fully grown male and female side by side are commonly mistaken for
an adult and juvenile.
They are called elephant seals
partly because of their size and also partly because of the males
snout or trunk that he inflates to impress and intimidate rivals
when competing with other males.
This picture is of a male who
has sustained damage to his trunk during a fight. This makes him
less able to compete with rival males and so he was master of a
very small harem of 2 or 3 females rather than up to a hundred that
the biggest and strongest males can command.
Photo; © Paul Ward - Pentax equipment,
100mm lens, 35mm film, K64.
This picture may not be copied
or used in any manner without prior written permission.
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