Sea Elephants of Patagonia

You might think elephant seals ( aka sea elephants ) get their name because of their enormous size,
but in fact it's because of their elongated trunk-like nose.

There are 2 species of elephant seals, northern and southern, which look very similar,
although northern elephant seal is smaller in size, while has a noticeably bigger spout.

The habitats of northern and southern elephant seals do not overlap:
Southern elephant seals live in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters,
northern elephant seals are native to the eastern Pacific.

Both northern and southern elephant seals spend months at sea,
only coming ashore to breed, give birth and molt.
Males arrive first to claim their territory, females return to a rookery later
already pregnant from the previous mating season. They give birth shortly after.

During the breeding season males face tough physical challenges.
First of all, being very elegant in the water, those giants are really clumsy while on land.Imagine them hauling their bodies weighing several tons  out of water onto the land. 

Secondly, a male elephant seal must stay on the land all the time protecting his harem.
Females, as always, come at a cost: males do not feed for months solely relying on their thick layer of blubber.

The images below feature a small colony of southern elephant seals, 
living on Atlantic coast near Dos Pozos ( Argentina ).
A private tour to the colony is offered for the guest of  
La Antonieta Estancia de Mar, which is run by a local family.
Guido, the owner of the estancia, will take you in his car to the shore,
where you can walk among the sea giants and enjoy the views of Atlantic Ocean.

Where you can see southern elephant seals
The only continental breeding area is on Peninsula Valdes ( Argentina )
and the adjacent coast. To see the animals book a guided tour in  
Punta Delgada or Punta Ninfas.

Georgia Island and Falkland Islands ( Malvinas ), which can be visited as a part of Antarctica cruises, are home to the biggest breeding colonies of southern elephant seals.

When to come
The mating season starts late August and ends early November.
A colony reaches highest numbers during the first decade of October.
The molting period lasts several weeks in January-February.

Personal experience
- Flight from Buenos Aires ( Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery ) to Trelew ( Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport )
with Aerolineas Argentinas ( US $100 +  / per person one way ) ;
- 4 days car rental from Rentar ( US $208 for SUV with an automatic gear  )  ;
- One night at La Antonieta Estancia del Mar  ( US $150 / per night excluding meals and $ 30+ excursion to the private beach with the sea elephants ).

 

To see more images follow the link to the Sea Elephants of Patagonia album