During our 2.00 pm trip aboard Supercat we came across this lone male Northern Elephant Seal swimming in the middle of the Juan De Fuca Strait. It was a rare and awesome sight as most of the time we see Elephant Seals hauled up on the Rocks at Race Rocks.
Elephant seals are well named because their large noses resemble an elephant's trunk. Males begin developing this enlarged nose, or proboscis, at sexual maturity (about three to five years), and it is fully developed by seven to nine years. Adult males may grow to over 13 feet (4 m) in length and weigh up to 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg). The females are much smaller at 10 feet (3 m) in length and 1,500 pounds (600 kg). The northern elephant seal is the second largest seal in the world, after the southern elephant seal.
No comments:
Post a Comment