Southern elephant seals have made a splash on Cape Town’s beaches recently and have captured the attention of locals and visitors alike with their rare appearance.
Over the past few months, many individual elephant seals have been spotted lounging on our coastline. Their unexpected visits have sparked growing public curiosity.
The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, together with the City of Cape Town’s wildlife management teams, have been closely monitoring these unique visitors, and they’re also helping to educate the public on how best to behave when encountering these seals.
Home… For Now
Most of these visiting elephant seals are here to moult, a natural but vulnerable process. Experts stress the importance of giving the seals space, allowing everyone to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime sighting safely and responsibly. Southern elephant seals are the largest seal species in the world. Males can reach lengths of up to seven metres and weigh as much as five tonnes. They are typically found in the Southern Ocean, with breeding and resting colonies on Subantarctic and Antarctic islands. The closest known colony to Cape Town is on South Africa’s Marion Island, about 2,177km away. These seals spend most of their lives at sea and only come ashore for breeding, moulting, or to rest during winter.
Cape Town Downtime?
So, what brings these seals to our shores? These elephant seals in the city are considered vagrant species, coming here for some time to rest and moult. Moulting is a strenuous and essential process during which the seals shed their top layer of skin and fur. While in the icy ocean, their bodies reduce blood circulation near the skin to conserve energy. This limits the growth of new hair and skin cells, so they must haul out onto land away from the cold water for three to five weeks to regenerate.
The seals remain on land to fully complete the moulting process, conserving energy and relying on stored fat reserves for sustenance. Restoring the health and integrity of their skin and fur is critical to their future survival. Gregg Oelofse, Coastal and Environmental Manager for the City of Cape Town, emphasised the importance of leaving these animals undisturbed:
“They don’t need help, food, or water – the best we can do for them is give them peace and space.”
Martine Viljoen, Marine Wildlife Manager at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, added: “We love having the opportunity to raise awareness about their presence along our shores and, hopefully, this encourages more informed and respectful public action.”
Report
If you see anyone harassing or disturbing an elephant seal, including allowing dogs to approach them, please report it immediately to the City of Cape Town at 021 480 7700 or 083 940 8143.
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