This is a southern elephant seal sun bathing

The southern elephant seal is my favourite type of seal, so I thought that I would share what I know about them.

Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. Southern elephant seals are massive animals.  Not only are they the biggest species of seal, but they are also considered to be the largest mammal in the carnivore order, bigger than polar bears and siberian tigers.  The males can grow up to 19 feet long and can weigh up to 4,000 kilograms.
2. The males are very aggressive and territorial when defending their harems of up to 50 females, often fighting with each other with their sharp teeth until they bleed.
3. They are the best underwater divers of all of the aquatic mammals, with the ability to hold their breath for up to 2 hours while they catch fish and squid.
4. They live throughout the Antarctic waters, breeding in large colonies on islands off the coast of South America, Australia and New Zealand.
5. Only the male southern elephant seal has the large inflatable nose that gives them their name.  My mum thinks that they’re ugly, but I like them.

I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.

Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about southern elephant seals?