Northern Elephant Seal

ocean mammal · super size · impressive nose

Huge nose for sound. Male northern elephant seals have a giant, droopy nose called a proboscis that they use to make incredibly loud roaring sounds. These roars help them compete with other males during mating season.

Enormous size difference. Male northern elephant seals are way bigger than females. Males can weigh up to 3,700 kilograms, while females are much smaller, creating one of the biggest size differences between males and females in any seal species.

Champion male wins big. A successful male northern elephant seal can father up to 50 baby seals in just one breeding season by mating with many different females. This makes them one of nature's most successful breeders.

Ocean diving experts. Northern elephant seals are incredible deep divers that can hold their breath for over an hour and descend deeper than 1,500 meters into the ocean to hunt for fish and squid.

Family of two species. Northern elephant seals are one of two elephant seal species, with the southern elephant seal being the other kind. Both live in different parts of the ocean around their polar regions.