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看板 ott
作者 ott (寶貝)
標題 Don’t worry he’s safe - just taking a rest after mating with THIRTY females
時間 2013年03月07日 Thu. PM 02:01:09

       
     
   
 




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...RTY-females.html#ixzz2MpaAUtmz 
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Would you get this close to an elephant seal? Don’t worry he’s safe - just taking a rest after mating with THIRTY females


Photographer Justin Hofman was able to get up close and personal with the incredible creatures in the Antarctic
One elephant seal was chronicled defending his 30 females from aggressive male rivals
Mr Hofman was able to stand just feet away from the scarred, battle-worn creatures for the images
By SAM WEBB
PUBLISHED: 13:16 GMT, 6 March 2013 | UPDATED: 00:37 GMT, 7 March 2013



These astonishing pictures provide an incredible glimpse at the lives of majestic elephant seals in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Wildlife photographer Justin Hofman captured the astonishing images at Gold Harbour on South Georgia, braving the powerful and ferocious creatures' wrath to get the close-up shots.

One of the photographs captures a massive elephant seal seemingly laughing at his fortune in the surf after managing to get a harem of 30 females - all to himself.

 
 
You're looking pleased with yourself: A male southern elephant seal appears to laugh after defending his harem of 30 females from other males looking for a mate

You're looking pleased with yourself: A male southern elephant seal appears to laugh after defending his harem of 30 females from other males looking for a mate

 

 
 
A southern elephant seal appears to have smug look on its face as it protects one of the females in its harem on Gold Harbour, South Georgia in the Antarctic Peninsula

A southern elephant seal appears to have smug look on its face as it protects one of the females in its harem on Gold Harbour, South Georgia in the Antarctic Peninsula

 
 
Smug: A male southern elephant seal plays in the surf, content in the knowledge he has 30 females waiting once he hits dry land

Smug: A male southern elephant seal plays in the surf, content in the knowledge he has 30 females waiting once he hits dry land

The battle-scarred giant even seems to smirk as he cosies up to one of his mates while still in sight of his now love-lorn rivals.

Mr Hofman said: 'They're always making some funny noise. So to have a laughing elephant seal makes sense - they really do make ridiculous noises.'

Justin, from California, spent hours photographing the large male guarding his 30-strong harem of females from rivals - including two smaller males working as a team to take him on.


He said one would distract the bull in a vicious fight while the other would sneak in and mate with a female on the periphery of the harem, which can be 100-strong.

However, with some elephant seals reaching 15ft in length and weighing 10,000lb, fights are no laughing matter and 'always end in bloodshed'.

 
 
 
Community: Amazingly, these giant elephant seals and penguins live side by side in South Georgia

Community: Amazingly, these giant elephant seals and penguins live side by side in South Georgia

 
 
Hugs: As penguins mill around in the background, a southern elephant seal wraps a protective arm around a female at Gold Harbour, South Georgia, in the Antarctic Peninsula

Hugs: As penguins mill around in the background, a southern elephant seal wraps a protective arm around a female at Gold Harbour, South Georgia, in the Antarctic Peninsula

Mr Hofman, from California, said: 'When they rear up to bash each other, they lift about two-thirds of their body straight up making them stand almost 3m high.

'They slam down onto each other with massive force and their weight, combined with very sturdy teeth, imparts damage nearly every time.

'It's not uncommon to walk around a beach and see scores of males with blood running down their face and chest.'

The wildlife photographer was able to capture these close-ups because many of the males were too tired from fighting to charge him.

 
 
Oy! Elephant seal engage in a roaring match after one is bitten during a battle for females

Oy! Elephant seal engage in a roaring match after one is bitten during a battle for females

 
 
Mirror image: Two male southern elephant seals look like each other's reflection as they square up to each other

Mirror image: Two male southern elephant seals look like each other's reflection as they square up to each other

 

 
Roar: The males' clashes often end in serious injury. The photographer says blood-spattered seals are a common sight
 
On the right, a red-eyed male roars its defiance to the sky
 

Roar: The males' clashes often end in serious injury. The photographer says  blood-spattered seals are a common sight

 
 
 
'They slam down onto each other with massive force and their weight, combined with very sturdy teeth, imparts damage nearly every time', said Mr Hofman, who observed numerous vicious duels

'They slam down onto each other with massive force and their weight, combined with very sturdy teeth, imparts damage nearly every time', said Mr Hofman, who observed numerous vicious duels

'When they're not fighting, you can pretty much stand within arm's length of them, just sitting there watching them breathe, looking at their scars and being awed by their size,' he said. 'But when they get up and start to bellow, you know it's time to step back.'

There are two types of elephant seal, southern elephant seals and the smaller northern version. It is named after the males' snout which resembles the trunk of an elephant.

The big beasts can grow to be 16ft

long and weigh over 6,000lbs, the smaller females are normally about
10ft long and weigh in at around 2,000lbs.

They
can hold their breath longer than any other cetacean animal, staying
under water without air for up to two hours. Elephant seals spend most
of their lives at sea and only return to land to mate.

They
were almost hunted to extinction in the 19th and 20th centuries but
since then the population is estimated to have recovered to about
700,000 members.

 

 
Hello cheeky: Elephant seals faced extinction in the 20th century but numbers have since swelled
 
Hello cheeky: Elephant seals faced extinction in the 20th century but numbers have since swelled
 

Hello cheeky: Elephant seals faced extinction in the 20th century but numbers have since swelled

 
 
The photographer was able to get close once the males stopped clashing, as seen here. The seal is roaring in pain as it is bitten

The photographer was able to get close once the males stopped clashing, as seen here. The seal is roaring in pain as it is bitten

 
 
Spectacular: A pup surrounded by penguins on the coast, as snow-capped mountains loom in the background

Spectacular: A pup surrounded by penguins on the coast, as snow-capped mountains loom in the background

 

 

 
Pain: A male roars in pain after his opponent's teeth clamp down on his neck
 
Cute: A pup rests its chin on its mothers back as it basks in the sunshine
 

Pain: A male (left) roars in pain after his opponent's teeth clamp down on his neck. A pup (right) rests its chin on its mothers back as it basks in the sunshine

 
 
The big beasts can grow to be 16ft long and weigh over 6,000lbs, the smaller females are normally about 10ft long and weigh in at around 2,000lbs

The big beasts can grow to be 16ft long and weigh over 6,000lbs, the smaller females are normally about 10ft long and weigh in at around 2,000lbs

 

 
 
Elephant seals can hold their breath longer than any other cetacean animal, staying under water without air for up to two hours. Theyspend most of their lives at sea and only return to land to mate

Elephant seals can hold their breath longer than any other cetacean animal, staying under water without air for up to two hours. Theyspend most of their lives at sea and only return to land to mate

















 
 






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