Southern Elephant Seals
When it comes to this sort of wildlife the figures are usually abstract because the closest you get to them is sitting in your living room watching David Attenborough talking about them on the TV. Today those figures became a lot more real to me. . .
It’s my first day on Sea Lion Island and after lunch I took a walk to the beach where there are southern elephant seals breeding. I’ve seen them before, this time last year from a zodiac but this was the first time I got to walk on the same beach as them and, believe me, that changes how you perceive them.
There were groups scattered along the length of the beach, each consisting of a number of females controlled by the male, called the beachmaster. Around the edges were several satellite males, those males unable to hold a harem themselves who wait to snatch a mating with one of the females without incurring the wrath of the beachmaster.
The beachmaster was absolutely huge and his strength was obvious. While he spent most of his time sleeping he would occasionally raise his head and call. It sounded like a really deep burp. I can’t think of any other way of describing it! It didn’t sound comical though.
The females also spent most of their time sleeping but from time to time they would seem to get aggravated by their neighbours and have a go at each other.
The pups were just concerned with feeding!
All this was really exciting to see and I wandered along the beach from harem to harem enjoying getting so close to such amazing animals. I walked to a promontory at the end of the island which is covered in tussock grass. It was quite difficult as there were satellite males all over the place and they blend in really well with the grass and dead kelp.
It was on the way back that I started to truly understand the size and strength of these animals. The wind had really picked up and the sand was flying, making it hard to see at times. I knew I needed to keep my distance from the males in particular, although I’m sure if a female thought I was getting to close to her pup she could hurt me just as much – 1 tonne or 4 tonnes, it doesn’t really matter when it’s squishing you! The problem was that in order to keep my distance from one male, I had to get close to another. Trying to pick a route though them was next to impossible, given the fact that the are so well camouflaged you could be right next to them before you spot them at the best of times and it’s even worse when the wind is making it hard to see.
I tried to pick a path through them but found it really difficult. I went down to the beach but it still meant walking past three males. I decided to head for higher ground as I was getting dangerously close to a harem and didn’t like the idea of getting between them and the sea. This higher ground gave me the advantage of being able to see the males but the disadvantage of having the males see me. One would look straight at me and my heart would quicken. I tried to make myself as small and unthreatening as possible and to avoid eye contact but this meant I wouldn’t look at them at all which then increases the fear because one could be coming straight towards me and I wouldn’t know it. I’d see a male lift his head and my heart started pounding. I walked as quickly as I could though the jumble of rocks and male elephant seals. There was nothing stopping them from deciding they didn’t like the look of me and rushing for me. I had absolutely no way of protecting myself and if I was hurt it would be hours before anyone would even know I was missing, let alone find me. I felt vulnerable in a way I hadn’t felt before. I realised I had been careless in coming this way. What sounds exciting on paper turns out to be foolhardy and scary in reality. David Attenborough isn’t walking amongst those harems alone – he’s got a film crew and experts telling him the warning signs to look out for. Whereas I was out on an afternoon stroll turning potentially fatal!
It may sound overly dramatic but with the wind howling around me, the sand whipping at my face and covering my glasses in dust it became apparent to me that I had potentially got in well over my head. These are wild animals in their territory and I’m an intruder. It didn’t help my imagination that I’d earlier seen a male with a bloody mouth, evidence that they were still fighting, and fighting hard.
Clearly I managed to get to safety but by the time I did my heart was racing. Although nothing had happened the fear I felt was genuine and well deserved. I had gained a new level of respect for these animals and decided that tomorrow I’d go and see the penguins!
* A Field Guide to the Wildlife of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia by Ian Strange (1992).
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