It’s not hard to see where elephant seals get their names. Some of these huge mammals, sometimes called sea elephants, weigh as much as four tons. But the name comes not so much from their size, but from the large, 15-inch-long nose of the male. It laps clear over his chin when his mouth is shut. The females only weigh about a ton when full-grown, and their noses are not quite so large.
It is quite a sight to see these orangy-pink or dark-brown, 20-foot-long bodies stretched out in a huge mass of 1000 or more on a sunny beach. Often they are friendly and mix with other varieties. It’s not unusual to see several large seals enjoying a good nap while another, half their size, is taking its nap sprawled across their backs for lack of other space.
The bodies of elephant seals have thick, tough, wrinkled skin with prickly-looking long whiskers on their faces. Their big flippers take the place of feet and legs, enabling them to get about on the sandy or rocky shores or, on rare occasions, to fight one another. They are excellent swimmers and can dive deeper than most submarines, as much as 4000 feet, in their search for fish or other seafood. They have been known to stay under water a full hour before coming up for air.
Most of these seals make California their home, sometimes traveling as far north as Alaska or as far west as Hawaii, but always returning to the beach where they were born. Some, whose homes are on the beaches of Georgia, migrate clear across the Atlantic Ocean in the fall to the Orkney Islands north of Scotland. This is where their pups are born and raised and then join the parents on the long swim back to the United States the next spring. Incidentally, pups are born with their eyes already open and are able to swim immediately.
At certain times great battles take place in the big colonies, with each male (bull) wanting to have the greatest number of females (cows) staying under his care and obeying every command. Most have 3 to 40 cows, and a few bulls may have more than 100. The weakest of them, however, may not have any cows and live apart from the others.
Mammals such as these, with their unusual appearances and ways, remind us that the Bible says of the Lord God: “Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:1111Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11). But in another Bible verse He tells us that His creation of people is extra special: “My delights were with the sons of men.” Proverbs 8:3131Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. (Proverbs 8:31). In the following verse we can hear His loving voice saying to you and me: “Now therefore hearken unto Me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep My ways.” (verse 32.) Are you one who is happy to keep His ways?
ML-07/19/1992