Mammal · seal

Southern elephant seal

Mirounga leonina

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic Found in 4 oceans

Southern Ocean and sub-Antarctic islands; a few colonies in Patagonia

Depth

Mostly 300 to 800 m, record beyond 2,000 m

Size

Males up to about 5 m and 3 to 4 tonnes

Diet

Squid, fish

Zone

Sunlit zone · 0 – 200 m

Key facts

• It is the largest of the seals.
• At sea, it makes dive after dive almost without a break, day and night, for months.
• The male has a trunk that amplifies its calls.

Verified sources

1. Australian Antarctic Program : Elephant seal
2. Tasmania NRE : Southern Elephant Seal
3. CSIRO : Deepest diving animals
4. WoRMS, Mirounga leonina

In the game: To observe

In the same zone

Leatherback sea turtleDermochelys coriacea Emperor penguinAptenodytes forsteri Whale sharkRhincodon typus SwordfishXiphias gladius OpahLampris guttatus Ocean sunfishMola mola