#Northern Elephant Seals

[rabbitcruiser]

World Aquatic Animal Day

Because (most) humans do not actually live underwater, it is easy to forget the vast array and variety of aquatic animals that populate the oceans, seas, lakes, and other bodies of water on our planet!

Aquatic animals may be vertebrates or invertebrates. They may breathe air or extract oxygen through gills or the skin. And they may live in either freshwater or saltwater. But no matter what their differences are, one thing is for sure–aquatic animals deserve to be noticed and appreciated!

World Aquatic Animal Day is centered around humans taking the time to learn about and acknowledge the importance of all of these creatures who make their homes in the water.

History of World Aquatic Animal Day

Created in 2020, World Aquatic Animal Day was created by folks over at Animal Law Clinic at the Lewis & Clark Law School (Portland, Oregon, USA) who wanted to bring attention to the importance of aquatic animals to our societies and ecosystems. Widely used around the world, aquatic animals are often at risk due to the interactions humans have directly with the animals, or indirectly through the corruption of their habitats.

In addition to ‘fish’, the category of aquatic animals includes a variety of other creatures, such as mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic birds, starfish, corals, aquatic insects, amphibians, marine mammals, reptiles, and more.

The idea for World Aquatic Animal Day is to raise global awareness so that humans all over the world would band together to create policies, laws, education, and outreach that will help to protect these valuable animals. The hope is to elevate the status of these creatures so that people are more likely to take an active role in learning about and acting on behalf of them. Different ideas for protecting these animals continue to be featured, from plastic pollution to climate change issues.

Many organizations throughout the world participated in the first World Aquatic Animal Day in 2020, including Canada, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Croatia, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and more.

The hope is that many more will join in for future days in the coming years. The more people who get involved, the better!

How to Celebrate World Aquatic Animal Day

Celebrating the animals under the sea is the idea of World Aquatic Animal Day, and there are tons of ways to do it!

Watch a Documentary about Sea Life

Getting educated about aquatic animals doesn’t have to be boring. Learning from film crews that have been deep-sea diving can be a thrilling way to see, enjoy and appreciate the myriad of animals that live in the water.

Try out these documentaries:

The Blue Planet (2001). First airing on the BBC, this riveting series of shows gives a glimpse into life in the ocean. It was filmed in more than 200 different locations over a five year time period. And Sir David Attenborough’s voice over simply makes the ocean seem that much more compelling.

Turtle: The Incredible Journey (2009). This film uniquely follows the life of one sea turtle beating the odds, from when she was hatched to facing the natural and unnatural threats that occur in the life of such a creature.

Mission Blue (2014). Featuring the life and work of Dr. Sylvia Earl, a marine biologist and oceanographer, this documentary shows her life as it is dedicated to the study of the ocean, having spent thousands of hours of time in its depths.

Life in the Blue (2016). Showcasing the extraordinary variety and range of life that exists in the expanses of the ocean, this documentary specifically targets what takes place just under the surface in a small band of 10 meter deep water. Whether looking for shelter or hunting and foraging for food, aquatic animals participate in a host of activities in this rather small space.

Host an Under the Sea Party

Get family and friends involved in raising awareness of the needs of aquatic animals by inviting them over for a party that dives deep into the theme. Make the place festive with sea-worthy decorations and play tunes from a water-themed playlist (see below).

Serve snacks and desserts that stick with the theme of honoring aquatic animals, including cupcakes adorned with gummy fish, goldfish cheese or graham crackers, cookies baked starfish shapes or a veggie tray organized in the shape of a rainbow fish.

Fruit treats are fabulous for sea-themed parties! Oranges can be easily fashioned to create the look of an octopus by partially peeling eight strips and then leaving them sticking out from the bottom. (Draw on eyes with a non-toxic marker.) Apples can be creatively sliced to appear as crabs, while banana halves can be adorned with an eye and the stem cut to look like dolphins. And a watermelon can be creatively carved to channel the look of a sea turtle!

Raise Awareness for Aquatic Animal Day

Get others involved in the issues facing these creatures by holding events at work, school, clubs or other places where the community gathers. Make posters, host lecturers, or create a family-friendly charity event where the money is raised to donated to underwater wildlife funds. Don’t forget to use your voice to let government representatives know about the need to protect these creatures by writing letters to ask them for better rules, regulations, and laws.

Put Together an Aquatic Animals Playlist

Getting into the groove of music is a great way to bring sea creatures to the forefront of the mind–whether alone or at a party! Gather some eclectic songs together in a playlist on Spotify or another music hosting venue and jam in honor of the aquatic animals.

Try some favorite songs such as these, or come up with other creative ideas:

Too Many Fish in the Sea (1983) by The Marvelettes

Under the Sea (1989) Soundtrack from The Little Mermaid

Dead Sea (2012) by The Lumineers

Sea of Love (1959) by Phil Phillips

Across the Sea (1996) by Weezer

Only the Ocean (2010) by Jack Johnson

Deep Ocean Vast Sea (1989) by Peter Murphy

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay (1968) by Otis Redding

Source

[sealsdaily]

Today's Seal Is: Ouroboros

[snototter]

A Northern elephant seal pup (Mirounga angustirostris) in Monterey Bay National Marine Park, California

by NOAA

[wikipediapictures]

Elephant seal

“Elephant Seals basking in the sun at Piedras Blancas, just off of Highway 1 in California.” - via Wikimedia Commons

[critter-creature-or-beast]

By patpatasaur, CC-BY-NC

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Marine mammals have to hold their breath underwater, but some species like the northern elephant seal have to hold it on land too! To conserve heat and energy while they bask, molt, and nurse pups while, northern elephant seals will go through phases of 'apnoea', wherein they cease breathing for 8-10 minutes, followed by periods of breathing for about 5 minutes. On average, they only breathe about 9-10 times per minute while hauled out on the beach.

(Image: A male northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) by NOAA Fisheries)

If you like what I do, consider buying me a ko-fi!

[fyanimaldiversity]

Begging you for some pinnipeds any pinnipeds please

Piebald Northern fur seal

Atypical colored Antarctic fur seal! With the orange, white, and grey they look calico.

Leucistic Antarctic fur seal

Interesting gang of Antarctic fur seal, one is leucistic and one almost looks brindle?

Leucistic southern elephant seal

Northern fur seal labeled as albino and partial albino (leucistic?) by some sources. NOAA says albino and they are experts.

Albino harbor seal

Albino ringed seal

Melanistic grey seal

[emaadsidiki]

Sands by the Sea 🌊🐘

[amber-tortoiseshell]

Phylogenetic seal tournament

Family: Phocidae - earless seals

Subfamily: Monachinae - southern seals

Genus: Mirounga - FINAL

The biggest pinniped species with even the females of the smaller northern elephant seal measuring 2.5 to 3.6 m (8.2 to 11.8 ft) of length, and southern elephant seal bulls typically reaching a length of 5 m (16 ft) and a weight of 3,000 kg (7,000 lb).

And my favourite wikipedia entry for them:

image source: 1, 2; audio: 1, 2

tournament masterpost

[wakingfromthewater]

A mother elephant seal rests with her pup after returning from a 7-month, 10,000-kilometer foraging trip to the northeast Pacific Ocean, where she made ~75,000 attempts to feed on twilight zone fish. Seals’ foraging success across decades reveals variation in fish abundance, which drives large fluctuations in the survival and reproductive success of their offspring. See page 764. Photo: Bruce Lyon, under National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) research permit no. 23188

Look at that covergirl!!!!

[novampiresremain]

doodle of a northern elephant seal from a book im readin'

[rabbitcruiser]

World Aquatic Animal Day

Because (most) humans do not actually live underwater, it is easy to forget the vast array and variety of aquatic animals that populate the oceans, seas, lakes, and other bodies of water on our planet!

Aquatic animals may be vertebrates or invertebrates. They may breathe air or extract oxygen through gills or the skin. And they may live in either freshwater or saltwater. But no matter what their differences are, one thing is for sure–aquatic animals deserve to be noticed and appreciated!

World Aquatic Animal Day is centered around humans taking the time to learn about and acknowledge the importance of all of these creatures who make their homes in the water.

History of World Aquatic Animal Day

Created in 2020, World Aquatic Animal Day was created by folks over at Animal Law Clinic at the Lewis & Clark Law School (Portland, Oregon, USA) who wanted to bring attention to the importance of aquatic animals to our societies and ecosystems. Widely used around the world, aquatic animals are often at risk due to the interactions humans have directly with the animals, or indirectly through the corruption of their habitats.

In addition to ‘fish’, the category of aquatic animals includes a variety of other creatures, such as mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic birds, starfish, corals, aquatic insects, amphibians, marine mammals, reptiles, and more.

The idea for World Aquatic Animal Day is to raise global awareness so that humans all over the world would band together to create policies, laws, education, and outreach that will help to protect these valuable animals. The hope is to elevate the status of these creatures so that people are more likely to take an active role in learning about and acting on behalf of them. Different ideas for protecting these animals continue to be featured, from plastic pollution to climate change issues.

Many organizations throughout the world participated in the first World Aquatic Animal Day in 2020, including Canada, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Croatia, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and more.

The hope is that many more will join in for future days in the coming years. The more people who get involved, the better!

How to Celebrate World Aquatic Animal Day

Celebrating the animals under the sea is the idea of World Aquatic Animal Day, and there are tons of ways to do it!

Watch a Documentary about Sea Life

Getting educated about aquatic animals doesn’t have to be boring. Learning from film crews that have been deep-sea diving can be a thrilling way to see, enjoy and appreciate the myriad of animals that live in the water.

Try out these documentaries:

The Blue Planet (2001). First airing on the BBC, this riveting series of shows gives a glimpse into life in the ocean. It was filmed in more than 200 different locations over a five year time period. And Sir David Attenborough’s voice over simply makes the ocean seem that much more compelling.

Turtle: The Incredible Journey (2009). This film uniquely follows the life of one sea turtle beating the odds, from when she was hatched to facing the natural and unnatural threats that occur in the life of such a creature.

Mission Blue (2014). Featuring the life and work of Dr. Sylvia Earl, a marine biologist and oceanographer, this documentary shows her life as it is dedicated to the study of the ocean, having spent thousands of hours of time in its depths.

Life in the Blue (2016). Showcasing the extraordinary variety and range of life that exists in the expanses of the ocean, this documentary specifically targets what takes place just under the surface in a small band of 10 meter deep water. Whether looking for shelter or hunting and foraging for food, aquatic animals participate in a host of activities in this rather small space.

Host an Under the Sea Party

Get family and friends involved in raising awareness of the needs of aquatic animals by inviting them over for a party that dives deep into the theme. Make the place festive with sea-worthy decorations and play tunes from a water-themed playlist (see below).

Serve snacks and desserts that stick with the theme of honoring aquatic animals, including cupcakes adorned with gummy fish, goldfish cheese or graham crackers, cookies baked starfish shapes or a veggie tray organized in the shape of a rainbow fish.

Fruit treats are fabulous for sea-themed parties! Oranges can be easily fashioned to create the look of an octopus by partially peeling eight strips and then leaving them sticking out from the bottom. (Draw on eyes with a non-toxic marker.) Apples can be creatively sliced to appear as crabs, while banana halves can be adorned with an eye and the stem cut to look like dolphins. And a watermelon can be creatively carved to channel the look of a sea turtle!

Raise Awareness for Aquatic Animal Day

Get others involved in the issues facing these creatures by holding events at work, school, clubs or other places where the community gathers. Make posters, host lecturers, or create a family-friendly charity event where the money is raised to donated to underwater wildlife funds. Don’t forget to use your voice to let government representatives know about the need to protect these creatures by writing letters to ask them for better rules, regulations, and laws.

Put Together an Aquatic Animals Playlist

Getting into the groove of music is a great way to bring sea creatures to the forefront of the mind–whether alone or at a party! Gather some eclectic songs together in a playlist on Spotify or another music hosting venue and jam in honor of the aquatic animals.

Try some favorite songs such as these, or come up with other creative ideas:

Too Many Fish in the Sea (1983) by The Marvelettes

Under the Sea (1989) Soundtrack from The Little Mermaid

Dead Sea (2012) by The Lumineers

Sea of Love (1959) by Phil Phillips

Across the Sea (1996) by Weezer

Only the Ocean (2010) by Jack Johnson

Deep Ocean Vast Sea (1989) by Peter Murphy

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay (1968) by Otis Redding

Source

[sealsdaily]

Today's Seal Is: Homunculus Loxodontus

[snototter]

A Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) coming ashore in San Simeon, California, USA

by Robyn Waayers

[thepastisalreadywritten]

While they may not look alike, did you know that seals are thought to be most closely related to bears, weasels, and otters? 🦭

📸 1/4: Barking elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, bask in a huge pile on a beach.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Bates Littlehales)

📸 2/4: Seals sleep in a tight group on the beach.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Joseph J. Scherschel)

📸 3/4: A colony of Steller's sea lions (Eumetopias jubata, also called northern sea lions) on a rocky islet in Hecate Strait.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Sam Abell)

📸 4/4: California sea lions, Zalophus californianus, lounge on a rock in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Anne Farrar)

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)

Habitat & Distribution

Spend most of their time in the open ocean close to the coast

Come to shore along the eastern Pacific coast and offshore islands once a year to pup

Physical Description

Weight: 1,500–2,300 kg (3,300–5,100 lb) for males, 400 to 900 kg (880 to 1,980 lb) for females

Length: 4–5 m (13–16 ft) for males, 2.5 to 3.6 m (8.2 to 11.8 ft) for females

Northern elephant seals are bulky, with flat front flippers and atrophied hind limbs; males sport a large proboscis nose

They are covered in a sleek layer of brown fur, which only extends up to the neck on males

Behaviour

The bulk of the diet is fish, supplemented with squid, crustaceans, small sharks, and rays

When hunting, northern elephant seals are generally solitary

Upon return to shore, males battle fiercely for territory and maintain a harem of 30-100 females

In the ocean, northen elephant seals are hunted by killer whales and great white sharks

Key Advantages

Northern elephant seals are strong swimmers, able to dive up to 1,550 m (5,090 ft) and able to remain submerged for 20-60 minutes

The immense bulk of male elephant seals can easily crush smaller animals, including other elephant seals

Males are equipped with long, thick teeth which they use to bite other males

Photo by Tim Hauf