Migration and Map of the Northern Elephant Seal
The Northern Elephant Seal migrates farther than eny other mammal on earth. They travel up to 13,000 miles. They make two migration journeys a year, the first one start in February and March from the coasts of Mexico and Southern California. The Northern Elephant Seal head to the North Pacific and the Gulf of Alaska to find food after not having any food for three months through birth and breeding season, they lose almost half of their body fat.
Males and females actually follow different migratory patterns. They travel in different ways becuase they both feed on different kinds of prey. Males find food near the continetal shelf where as females go into the open ocean to get slippery prey.
The females arrive back at the beaches in late April early May, which is when they molt their skins and hairs. The males arrive later, ussually in early summer. After the molt they begin their second leg of the migration. They arrive back at the beaches once again in order to breed and give birth.
They use flipper tags to track the Northern Elephant Seal.
Fun Fact: Males travel 250 days and females 300 days
Males and females actually follow different migratory patterns. They travel in different ways becuase they both feed on different kinds of prey. Males find food near the continetal shelf where as females go into the open ocean to get slippery prey.
The females arrive back at the beaches in late April early May, which is when they molt their skins and hairs. The males arrive later, ussually in early summer. After the molt they begin their second leg of the migration. They arrive back at the beaches once again in order to breed and give birth.
They use flipper tags to track the Northern Elephant Seal.
Fun Fact: Males travel 250 days and females 300 days