General Description

Body fur brown, yellow-brown or grey. Male body large with a thick neck and nose that overhangs the mouth, face skin often wrinkled, eyes large and round. Females and young males have a shorter nose, large eyes and large nostrils. Up to 5 m long.

Biology

Southern Elephant Seals shed their fur (moult) every summer, sometimes doing so on beaches along the Victorian coastline. They can dive to depths over 1000 m and remain under water for over an hour. They are the largest seal in Australia, females are about half the size of fully grown males.

Humans interactions include:
Commercial fishing impacts diet.

Habitat

Open ocean, coastal waters and beaches, to depths greater than 1000 m.

Open water

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans, including southern Australia. Potentially near Port Phillip, recorded from Victoria.

Species Group

Mammals › Seals

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

Surface Midwater

Max Size

5 m

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Conservation Status

• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Vulnerable
• IUCN Red List : Least Concern
• CITES : Trade restrictions (Appendix II)