South Georgia Voyage Notes -6 – Wildlife Focus
A significant occupant of the landscape as seen in any beach landing were the massive, uncouth Elephant Seals. The guttural noises emanating from them filled every beach just like their massive frames filled the beach front. For these occupants, the mating season had just started and we found the Bulls also called beachmasters actively going about their business of procreation, often marauding through their whole harem, crushing some of the pups and female seals in the process – Literally a one-man army like Arnie or Sly Stallone out on a mission ! There were several bulls in each beach, and from time to time they would attempt to challenge the Beachmaster , who fiercely attempted to confront them. Many a time the challenger slunk away without a fight , but we did witness one massive fight lasting all of Ten Minutes when they reared up on their hind fins and smashed into each other with all their 5 ton girth and one could almost hear them mouthing “Ongi Adicha 5 ton weight daaa “ Suriya style grin emoticon In this process they attempt to sink their two massive teeth into each others body. The defeated Seal, looking suitably contrite, slunk back into the sea, heavily bloodied. The Elephant Seal Pups would easily match Shrek in the cutely ugly department. The pups weigh eighty pounds at birth and within a couple of months grow to four hundred pounds at which point the mother weans them and basically discards them to be out on their own. Many of these, missing the mother’s warmth, were seen cuddling up to each other or a few times even to us seeking that warmth. There was this one funny instance when a couple of them clambered all over our dry bags and life jackets that we had left in a heap on the Beach. When Pauline Carr, a senior leader of the expedition tried to ward them off, one of them cuddled to her, making one almost wish we could pack him in a dry bag and carry him back home!
While they were not fighting or mating, the bulls were fast asleep kumbhakarna style and nothing would wake them up, other than the odd cheeky Skua that poke them in their noses in search of parasites !! While they were sleeping it offered us a chance to go very close to them and get some interesting close ups. During one such shot at Grytviken, he opened his bloodshot and looked right at me, giving me an interesting snap. Very gentle towards humans yet very crude in behaviour amongst themselves, I would label these gentle giants the comedians of South Georgia !!
A video compilation of these creatures is available here:
NEWS of Planet Earth 