Abstract
THE elephant seal (Mirounga leonina (L.)) has not previously been recorded in any numbers away from its known breeding grounds. These are antarctic and subantarctic islands from the South Shetlands to Macquarie and the Campbell Islands, extending north to Tierra del Fuego and the Falk-lands. The southernmost known breeding ground is King George Island in the South Shetlands, in about 62° S. South of this, stragglers are fairly common off north Graham Land in 64°–65° S.1,2, and single individuals have been recorded in summer from Terre Adélie (66° 45′ S.)3, Cape Denison (67° 0′ S.)4, Scott Island (67° 24′ S.)5, Cape Hallett (72° 25′ S.)6 and McMurdo Sound (77° 40′ S.)7. A young male was seen on March 24, 1954, at Mawson (67° 36′ S.). There are also a few records of sightings in the pack-ice.
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References
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INGHAM, S. Elephant Seals on the Antarctic Continent. Nature 180, 1215–1216 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/1801215b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1801215b0
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