# Northern Elephant Seal (*Mirounga angustirostris*)

> The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a huge deep-diving seal of the eastern Pacific, breeding on beaches in California and Mexico and feeding far offshore. Bulls are enormous, reaching around 3.5 m long and weighing anywhere from 400 to 2,300 kg, far heavier than females. They dive for squid and deep-sea fish and typically live 11 to 13 years. The species is listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** North Pacific offshore waters; breeding on California and Baja California coasts from Point Reyes to Isla Guadalupe.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/elephant-seal/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Phocidae
- **Genus:** Mirounga

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Mirounga angustirostris |
| Diet | Carnivore — squid, deep-sea fish, and rays |
| Habitat | Offshore Pacific and breeding beaches of California and Mexico |
| Lifespan | 11–13 years in the wild (females longer than bulls) |
| Weight | 400–2,300 kg (880–5,070 lb); bulls vastly heavier |
| Top speed | Up to 16 km/h (10 mph) on land; strong swimmer |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Size and the elephant-like nose

Northern elephant seals are named for the large, inflatable snout of adult males, which resembles a short trunk and hangs over the mouth. Bulls are among the largest of all seals, growing to roughly 3.5 m and weighing from 400 kg up to about 2,300 kg, while females are far smaller. Males use the trunk-like proboscis as a resonating chamber, producing deep, clattering roars that carry across a crowded breeding beach. This dramatic size difference between the sexes is one of the most extreme of any mammal.

## Record-breaking diving

Few mammals dive as deeply or for as long as the northern elephant seal. Individuals routinely descend hundreds of metres and can reach depths beyond 1,500 m, staying submerged for 20 minutes or more between short breaths at the surface. They spend most of the year at sea, diving almost continuously day and night to hunt in the cold, dark water column. Special adaptations, including large blood volume and oxygen-rich muscle, let them stay under far longer than their lung capacity alone would allow.

## Diet and hunting at depth

Elephant seals are carnivores that feed mainly on squid, deep-sea fish, and occasionally rays and small sharks. They hunt in the twilight and dark zones of the open ocean, using sensitive whiskers and large eyes to detect prey where little light reaches. Because they feed far offshore and deep down, they rarely compete with coastal fisheries. A foraging seal may travel thousands of kilometres across the Pacific during a single trip to sea.

## Breeding beaches and battles

Each winter, northern elephant seals haul out on beaches in California and Baja California, Mexico, to breed. Dominant bulls fight for control of harems of females, rearing up and slamming their chests and necks together in bloody clashes. Females give birth to a single pup and nurse it on extremely rich milk for about a month before returning to sea. Only the largest, most dominant males win the right to mate, so the winners father a large share of the pups.

## Recovery from near-extinction

The northern elephant seal is a rare conservation success story. Hunted relentlessly for its blubber oil in the nineteenth century, the species was reduced to perhaps fewer than 100 animals before protection began. Given legal protection by Mexico and later the United States, the population has rebounded into the hundreds of thousands and is now listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Because all living individuals descend from that tiny remnant, however, the species carries very low genetic diversity.

## Time on land and moulting

Although superb swimmers, elephant seals are ungainly on land, hauling themselves along at up to about 16 km/h in short bursts. They come ashore twice a year: once to breed and again to moult, when they shed skin and fur in large patches during a so-called catastrophic moult. During these weeks on land they fast, living off stored blubber rather than feeding. Between these visits they are almost entirely oceanic, returning to the same beaches year after year.

## Frequently asked questions

### How big is a northern elephant seal?

Bulls reach around 3.5 m in length and can weigh anywhere from 400 kg to about 2,300 kg (880 to 5,070 lb). Females are much smaller, which makes the northern elephant seal one of the most size-differentiated mammals between the sexes.

### How deep can elephant seals dive?

Northern elephant seals are among the deepest-diving mammals, routinely reaching several hundred metres and sometimes exceeding 1,500 m. They can stay underwater for 20 minutes or more, thanks to large blood volume and oxygen-storing muscle.

### What do elephant seals eat?

They are carnivores that feed mainly on squid and deep-sea fish, along with the occasional ray or small shark. They hunt in the dark, deep layers of the open Pacific rather than in shallow coastal waters.

### Where do northern elephant seals live?

They spend most of the year far offshore in the eastern North Pacific and come ashore to breed and moult on beaches in California and Baja California, Mexico. Well-known haul-out sites include Año Nuevo and Piedras Blancas.

### Why are they called elephant seals?

The name comes from the large, inflatable snout of adult males, which resembles a short elephant's trunk. Bulls use it to amplify their roaring calls during the breeding season.

### Are northern elephant seals endangered?

No. Although they were hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s, they have recovered strongly and are now listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. The whole population descends from a tiny surviving group, so genetic diversity remains low.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Mirounga angustirostris.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Mirounga%20angustirostris&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Mirounga angustirostris. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mirounga_angustirostris/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/elephant-seal/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.