Southern Elephant Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seals and Sea Lions · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. Males are usually four to five times heavier than females, possibly the biggest size gap between the sexes of any mammal.
2. Southern elephant seals hunt squid and fish 400 to 1,000 m down, and one was recorded at 2,388 m.
3. On land, a southern elephant seal can hump along at up to 10 km/h over short distances.
4. In harem battles, the biggest bulls win access to dozens of females.
5. About 650,000 southern elephant seals were counted in the mid-1990s. By 2025 the estimate was close to 700,000.

The quiz

1. How much heavier are males than females?

• Twice
• Ten times
• Four to five times (correct)
• About the same

Males are four to five times heavier than females.

2. What is the deepest dive recorded for a southern elephant seal?

• 2,388 m (correct)
• 238 m
• 1,000 m
• 23,880 m

One was recorded diving to 2,388 m.

3. How fast can a southern elephant seal move on land?

• Up to 1 km/h
• Up to 10 km/h (correct)
• Up to 30 km/h
• Up to 60 km/h

It can move at up to 10 km/h on land over short distances.

4. What do the biggest bulls win in harem battles?

• Access to dozens of females (correct)
• The best fishing spot
• A place on the warmest beach
• Control of the pups' food

The biggest bulls win access to dozens of females.

5. About how many southern elephant seals were there in the mid-1990s?

• 65,000
• 6,500
• 6.5 million
• 650,000 (correct)

About 650,000 were estimated in the mid-1990s, and close to 700,000 in 2025.

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