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Predation and Other Threats to the Elephant Seal



Although the elephant seals are seemingly no longer at strong risk as an endangered species, their genetic diversity has been greatly compromised...

 

Learn how these compromised genetics may create hereditary bottlenecks and founder effects that could severely threaten our Northern elephant seal population...

 

Read about the status of elephant seals on the IUCN Red List of endangered species...

 

 

The main predators of the elephant seal are killer whales and great white sharks.
These videos will offer you up close and personal insights into the realities of elephant seal predation.

 



Videos of Orcas Hunting and Eating Elephant Seals

 

A brutal how to video for hungry killer whales...

 

An extremely intimate view of Orcas hunting elephant seal pups with a strong bias for the Orcas...

 




Footage of a bull elephant seal battling for his life with an Orca to a gnarly thrash-metal soundtrack...


 


A definite downside to daddy elephant seals indulging in aggressive jousting...




A tour boat witnesses an Orca taking down an elephant seal...





 

Even though this video is of a pod of Orcas hunting a crab-eater seal, the technique they use is astounding and is used for any prey that finds itself in this situation, often including elephant seals. This will give you an idea of the kind of forces the bull elephant seals are up against as they travel north after mating and molting...




 


Videos of Great White Sharks Hunting and Eating Elephant Seals

The other main predatory threat to elephant seals is the great white shark. These videos will convey the nitty gritty truth of this relationship to you more quickly than any lecture...


A great white bags an elephant seal at the Farallon islands...

 




A thrilling close-up encounter of a great white taking down an elephant seal, again at the Farallons, narrated by a group of exuberant Australians...

 




It’s hard to imagine how the Northern elephant seals made it for long at Isla de Guadalupe with this kind of an opposition. Narrated by another, perhaps overly exuberant, Australian...

 




A dynamic chase scene between a small seal and a great white shark, with a candid live sound track, complete with women screaming at its sanguineous climax. This will give you an idea of the kind of forces the female elephant seals are up against as they travel into the heart of the Great White Cafe after mating and molting...



 

More on the Great White Café...

 

Wikipedia’s page on the Great White Café



An earthsky.org article on the Great White Café




Some fascinating original research on the Great White Café...




It's interesting to compare the Trash Vortex with the Great White Cafe...



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