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Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)
Sleeping male Northern Elephant Seal, San Simeon, California. Photograph by Cybele May. Some rights reserved. (view image details) 
Male Northern Elephant Seal, San Simeon, California. Photograph by Cybele May. Some rights reserved. (view image details) 
Female Northern Elephant Seal coming onto the beach, San Simeon, California. Photograph by Cybele May. Some rights reserved. (view image details)
NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL FACTS
DescriptionNorthern Elephant Seals are usually brown with lighter underside. The males are dark brown and females are lighter brown or tan. Pups have black hair until their first molt when they grow a lighter coat. The male has a proboscis like a small trunk on his face. Size Northern Elephant Seal males are much larger than females. Males are about 1800kg, females are about 650kg. Length: males 3.6 - 4.2m; females 2.2 - 3m. Environment Spent 90% of their time in the ocean. On land they inhabit sandy, rocky or muddy shores Food octopus, squid, small sharks, skates and fish. Breeding One pup (sometimes twins) is born after a gestation of 11 months. The pup is weaned after 25 days. Range coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of Alaska down to Baja California Notes Elephant Seals can dive to a depth of 1,500m and stay under water for over an hour. Dives are more commonly up to 20-25 minutes at depths up to 350-650m. Classification
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