Once nearly hunted to extinction, Northern Elephant Seals have rebounded to over 100,000 individuals. Adult males, distinguished by their large nose and size, are more than three times the size of females. These seals spend most of their time at sea and are known to be one of the deepest divers of all marine mammals. They come to shore only during the breeding and molting seasons. The main Elephant Seal rookery off Central California is at Ano Nuevo Island (northern Monterey Bay), where the seals gather by the thousands during the winter. At this time, females give birth to their pups and males battle one another as they compete for harems of females. After the mating season, seals head out to sea and are occasionally seen resting near the surface between diving bouts.
Diet
Large Variety | Fish, Squid, Shark, Rays
Population Status | Monterey
Least Concern
Legal Protection
Marine Mammal Protection Act, National Marine Protected Area Act
Threats
Biotoxin (Algal Blooms), Disease, Human Related Loss (Habitat Loss, Climate Change, Disturbance, Entanglement, Harassment, Oil Spills, Pollution, Boat Strikes, Collisions)
Size
10ft (Female)
13ft (Male)
Weight
1,300 lb (Female)
4,400 lb (Male)