Fighting Elephant Seals, Mirounga angustirostris, #15394

Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, USA, Mirounga angustirostris, natural history stock photograph, photo id 15394
Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, USA

Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Image ID: 15394
Format: Digital 3:2
Keywords: angustirostris, animal, animalia, attack, bite, california, caniformia, carnivora, carnivore, chordata, creature, elefante marino, elephant seal, endangered, endangered threatened species, fighting elephant seals, injure, male, mammal, mammalia, marine, marine mammal, mirounga, mirounga angustirostris, monterey bay national marine sanctuary, national marine sanctuaries, nature, northern elephant seal, ocean, phocid, phocidae, piedras blancas, pinniped, pinniped behavior, pinnipedia, san simeon, sea cow, sea elephant, seal, territorial dispute, threatened, usa, vertebrata, vertebrate, wildlife
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