Northern Elephant Seals are capable of diving for up to 45 minutes and to a depth of 800 m (2,600 feet). They prey mainly on ratfish, sharks, cusk eels and squid. This seal has not been a problem for fishers in B.C.
| During December to March, most Northern Elephant Seals congregate on islands and beaches off California and Mexico to bear their young and mate. By the end of March the pups have been weaned and all animals begin to disperse from the rookeries to forage on the continental slope. Pups and adult males tend to move north along the coast, occasionally as far as Alaska. Relatively few reach B.C. Adults rarely haul out in B.C. And are usually seen resting vertically in the water with their massive head and neck extending above the water like a large log. However, weaned pups, which weigh about 70 kgs (150 lbs), occasionally come ashore to rest. Because of their lethargic behavious, they are often mistakenly thought to be sick.
Editor's Note 2014: Elephant Seals are now known to breed at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve in British Columbia. The most recent birth at this location was on January 14th, 2014.
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