Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris

Female elephant seals fight for space on the beach for themselves and their pups, and fend off other females who may try to steal their pups. The fights among females are less intense than those among bulls but are no less important in determining the social hierarchy of the rookery. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, USA, Mirounga angustirostris, natural history stock photograph, photo id 15486
Female elephant seals fight for space on the beach for themselves and their pups, and fend off other females who may try to steal their pups. The fights among females are less intense than those among bulls but are no less important in determining the social hierarchy of the rookery. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, USA

Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Image ID: 15486
Format: Digital 3:2
Keywords: angustirostris, animal, animalia, california, caniformia, carnivora, carnivore, chordata, creature, elefante marino, elephant seal, endangered, endangered threatened species, female disputes, 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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