Very large size
Males can weigh up to about 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb).
Other Mammalsrecovered trend
Elephant Seal
Very large, oceangoing true seals in the genus Mirounga, including northern and southern species with pronounced male proboscises.
Sea elephant
Species Guide
What to know about elephant seals
A clean field guide focused on habitat, identification, behavior, and conservation context without burying the useful parts.
Elephant seals are very large, oceangoing true seals in the genus Mirounga. Two species are commonly recognized: the northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris) and the southern elephant seal (M. leonina). Males can develop a large proboscis and may weigh up to about 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb). The northern species ranges over the Pacific coast of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with northerly breeding sites such as Race Rocks Marine Protected Area near Vancouver Island. The southern species occurs in the Southern Hemisphere on islands including South Georgia and Macquarie Island and on coasts of New Zealand, Tasmania, South Africa, and Argentina (Peninsula Valdés); a small colony exists at Jackson Bay in southern Chile. Elephant seals evolved in the Pacific during the Pliocene and breed annually, often returning to established breeding colonies.
Both northern and southern elephant seals were hunted heavily for lamp oil by the end of the 19th century and were driven nearly to extinction; their numbers have since recovered.
At the country level, the clearest linked starting points on this guide currently point to Canada, France for divers looking for elephant seals.
