The Biggest Seal

Photo by B. Navez
The Biggest Seal: Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina)

The Southern elephant seal is the earth's biggest living seal. The seals' size changes drastically depending on gender, with the males typically five to six times heavier than the females. The record-sized seal, shot in Possession Bay, South Georgia on February 28, 1913, measured 22.5 ft. long. Southern elephant seals dive for more than 20 minutes for to eat squid and fish -- which can be up to 3,300 feet underwater. They gather in huge colonies, and are marked as Least Concern on the IUCN's Red List.

Mammal / Seal (pinniped)

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