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What is the biggest seal ever recorded?
Southern elephant seal
These seals are famous for being big. They are the biggest of pinnipeds – bigger even than walruses – there being a record of a giant male Southern elephant seal that was between 6.5 and 6.8 m long and weighed over 4000 kg (Carwardine 1995).
Is Elephant Seal bigger than walrus?
True Seals The largest seal is the Southern elephant seal (bigger than even the walrus) and the smallest is the ringed seal.
How big is a bull elephant seal?
Southern elephant seal: 2,200 – 4,000 kg
Northern elephant seal: 1,500 – 2,300 kg
Elephant seals/Mass
What is the fastest seal in the world?
California sea lion California sea lions are speed demons, and can swim up to 25 miles per hour underwater—that’s faster than any other sea lion or seal! That’s because they have a streamlined, torpedo-shaped body that helps them power through the water using their strong front flippers.
Can you pet an elephant seal?
Seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is against the law to touch, feed or otherwise harass seals. Harassment occurs whenever your behavior changes their behavior. The rule is to keep at least 50 yards, four car lengths, away — to give them their space.
Are elephant seals in danger of becoming extinct?
Today, there are somewhere between 120,000-150,000 elephant seals — a number likely close to their historic population. They have long since been removed from the endangered species list, though they are still protected in the U.S. by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Are elephant seals aggressive?
Males battle each other for mating dominance. Some encounters end with roaring and aggressive posturing, but many others turn into violent and bloody battles. Sea elephants, as these seals are sometimes called, give birth in late winter to a single pup and nurse it for approximately a month.
What is the biggest seal in the world?
The Southern elephant seal is the earth’s biggest living seal. The seals’ size changes drastically depending on gender, with the males typically five to six times heavier than the females.
What is the biggest elephant seal?
Southern Elephant Seal. Southern Elephant Seal – Mirounga leonina. Description. The Southern Elephant Seal is the largest of all seals in the world. The males can weigh up to 8,500 lb and the females 2,000 lb.
What is the largest leopard seal?
Leopard seals are the largest of the “true” (having no external ear flaps) Antarctic seals, and can grow to over 11 feet (3.3 meters) in length, with exceptionally large individuals weighing up to 1,300 pounds (590 kg).
What is the population of leopard seals?
Leopard seals are found in circumpolar Antarctica, but there have been sightings as far north as the southern coasts of Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa. Population estimates put their number at 220,000 to 440,000 individuals.