Woeful Weaner
by Ginny Barklow
Title
Woeful Weaner
Artist
Ginny Barklow
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
This elephant seal pup has just been weaned, and he is not happy about it! For the first three weeks of his life, things were good. Mom was always available for nursing and cuddling. Now she has suddenly started biting him and chasing him away. What he doesn't realize is that his mother's behavior is designed to save his life. His mother is ready to mate again and a pup near her would be in danger of being squashed by an amorous male.
Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) are the largest seals in the world. The average male is over 16 feet long and weighs over 4 tons. The largest male ever measured was 22 1/2 feet long and weighed 5 1/2 tons. Females are quite a bit smaller. They are about 10 feet long and weigh a little less than a ton. These large marine mammals spend over 80% of their lives in the ocean, only coming to shore to breed and molt. They are known for diving very deeply and staying under water for as long as two hours at a time.
When I went ashore at St. Andrews Bay on South Georgia Island, near Antarctica, this weaner approached me with a plaintive cry and tried to nurse on the toe of my boot. He had such big sad eyes, I hated to disappoint him. Even after he ruled me out as a food source, he still wanted to cuddle by leaning against my legs. Since he weighed about 300 pounds, I had to be careful not to get knocked over. He followed me around like a puppy while I was taking pictures.
Uploaded
June 2nd, 2014
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