The southern elephant seal population in South Africa has seen its conservation status improve from near threatened to least concern, with a recent assessment citing the absence of serious threats to the species’ breeding colonies. Elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) are native to sub-Antarctic islands, including Prince Edward Island and Marion Island, which are part of […]
Tag: elephant seals
A massive wave capsized my kayak, leaving me stranded in waters known for great whites. Then something peculiar happened
San Miguel Island, part of California’s Channel Islands National Park, lies 50km off the coast of Santa Barbara. The waters surrounding this windswept island teem with marine life, particularly seals and sealions – in fact, Point Bennett, on the island’s western tip, hosts the largest congregation of these animals anywhere in the world. On any […]
Avian Flu Wipes Out Nearly Half of Breeding Elephant Seals at World’s Largest Colony
The beaches of South Georgia, a remote splinter of ice and rock in the South Atlantic, should be a place of deafening, chaotic life. Normally, the shores host the planet’s largest gathering of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina. They are the largest seals on Earth, and they come by the tens of thousands to fight, […]
Despite weighing up to 4 tonnes, this mammal can dive to depths of 2000 metres, hold its breath for an incredible two hours and even control its heart rate
The gold medal for deep diving goes to a bull southern elephant seal, recorded at an incredible 2,388m, says Ellen Husain. While this is extreme, the species frequently dives to depths of 400–800m, staying under for 20–30 minutes. Motivated by food, elephant seals plumb the depths for squid and rays, often at nutrient-rich boundary zones […]
Fears for elephant seals as bird flu kills half of population in South Atlantic
Bird flu has wiped out half of South Georgia’s breeding elephant seals, according to a study that warns of “serious implications” for the future of the species. The remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean is home to the world’s largest southern elephant seal population. Researchers estimate 53,000 females died after bird flu hit in […]
Baby seal found stabbed multiple times on Oregon beach; search underway for suspect
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is searching for the person who stabbed a baby seal multiple times on a beach in Oregon. The seal survived the March attack in a cove in the small town of Neskowin, which sits along the Pacific Ocean, NOAA said Monday. The administration’s marine stranding team was able to […]
Bird flu finds its way into Western wildlife
Last fall, a Clallam County, Washington, resident spotted a young male cougar walking slowly through a field on the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula. It was the middle of the day — a clear sign that something was off — and he was also skinny and weak, dragging his matted tail in the mud. […]
Dead dolphins and seals wash up on LA beaches as officials face blame for toxic tide of wildfire debris
LA residents continue to witness the devastating impact of the deadly wildfires nearly three months on, with marine life now emerging as the latest casualty of the disaster, DailyMail.com can reveal. The fallout from the destructive blaze has reached the city’s coastline where a deadly tide of toxic fire debris has resulted in dead dolphins […]