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The Northern Elephant Seal Mirounga angustirostris is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the Southern Elephant Seal). It is a member of the Phocidae ( "true seals") family.

Elephant seals get their name from their great size (the Southern Elephant Seal is the larger of the two species) and the fact that the adult males have a large proboscis, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season. There is a great sexual dimorphismSexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. For example, in some species, including many mammals, the male is larger than the female. In others, such as some spiders, the female is large in size, with the males, reaching 5m in length, very much bigger than the females (they are called bulls and cows), who average about 3m. Correspondingly, there is a highly polygynous mating system, with a successful male able to impregnate up to 50 females in one season.

The Northern Elephant Seal lives in the Eastern Pacific OceanFor other meanings of pacific see pacific (disambiguation). The Pacific Ocean (from the Spanish Pacifico meaning peaceful is the world's largest body of water. It encompasses a third of the Earth's surface, having an area of 179. 7 million km² (69. 4 mill, migrating between northern waters as far north as AlaskaOn January 3, 1959, Alaska was admitted to the United States as the 49th state. The population of the state is 626,932, as of 2000. The name "Alaska" is most likely derived from the Aleut word for "great country" or "mainland. The natives called it "Alyes and the shores of CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh and Baja CaliforniaAlternative use: Baja California (state Baja California or Lower California is a peninsula in the west of Mexico. It extends some 1250 km from Tijuana in the north to Cabo San Lucas in the south, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California (o, where they come ashore to breed, give birth and moult, mostly on offshore islands. There are a number of places on the Californian coast where colonies can be observed. Recently increasing numbers have been observed in the Gulf of CaliforniaThe Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez or Sea of Cortes locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de Cortes or, much less frequently, Golfo de California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican.

Northern Elephant Seals were hunted almost to extinction in the 19th centuryAlternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical ( 18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801- 1900. Events The Little Ice Age ended (they were prized for the oil that could be made from their blubber), and it is thought that the population numbers may have fallen as low as 100-1,000, finding refuge in Mexican waters. By the turn of the century, they had just one surviving rookery, on Guadelupe Island , Mexico, and this was granted protection by the Mexican government. Since the early 20th century, they have been protected by law in both Mexico and the United States, and numbers have now recovered to, it is thought, over 100,000. Nevertheless, there is a genetic bottleneck in the existing population, which could make it more susceptible to disease and pollution. In California, the population is continuing to grow at around 25 percent per year, and new colonies are being established; they are now probably limited mostly by the availability of haulout space. Numbers can however be badly affected by El Niño events and the resultant weather conditions, and the 1997-98 El Niño is thought to have caused the loss of about 80 percent of pups born that year.

The Northern Elephant Seal feeds on a range of fish and cephalods, including squid, octopus, hagfish, ratfish and small sharks. Much of their prey comes from deep water, and the seals are famous for the very long periods of time they can stay under water. They dive to great depths while feeding, typically between 300 and 800m (females, which are smaller, do not usually go to the very greatest depths), and they can dive as deep as 1500m/ Average dives times are correspondingly long, around 20 minutes (again a little less for females), and they require very little time on the surface between dives (about 3 minutes). The deepest dives are over 1,500m deep and can last up to 2 hours.

Northern elephant seals, especially juveniles, are preyed on by Great White Sharks, and sometimes also by Orcas.

In the summer, Elephant seals undergo a "catastrophic moult," lasting about one month, during which they lose much of their fur and skin. They spend this time on beaches to preserve body heat, while they wait for the new fur to grow. During this time, Elephant Seals can be observed at a number of preserves on the California coastline, for example the Año Nuevo State Park and the Point Reyes National Seashore.

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