© Valeria Falabella
The Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) is one of the most iconic species of the beaches of Península Valdés, where over 80% of the world’s sole continental breeding colony is concentrated. The species undergoes two terrestrial stages in its annual cycle: one for breeding and another for molting. During both stages, elephant seals fast for several weeks, making them particularly vulnerable to external disturbances. The rest of the year is spent at sea, where they can travel thousands of kilometers to reach their feeding areas, primarily consuming fish and squid. Southern elephant seals are expert divers, foraging primarily in waters over the continental shelf and the Argentine Basin, where they can dive to impressive depths.
Tablas de estado de especie por año
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2021
CITATION CONSERVATION STATUS (IUCN criteria) Global Least Concern, 2015 1 Regional – Patagonian Sea Least Concern, 2016 5 Argentina Least Concern, 2019 2 POPULATION SIZE (Individuals) Global 650,000 1 Argentina (sin Islas Malvinas) 50,000 3 Isla Malvinas 1,800 4 South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) 350,000 3 POPULATION TREND Global Stable 1 Argentina (sin Islas Malvinas) Increasing 1 Isla Malvinas Increasing 1 South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) Increasing/Stable 1 CURRENT SITUATION IN ARGENTINA Coastal Stretch with Distribution of Breeding Groups 309 km spread over three sectors Protected Coastal Stretch 228 km
Protected areas with the presence of breeding groups
- Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés
- Área Natural Protegida Punta León
Marine areas of intensive use by the species
- Frente del talud desde el Este del Banco Burdwood hasta Uruguay
- Sectores de aguas profundas en la cuenca oceánica argentina
- Frente de Valdés
- Frente Austral
Protected marine areas within areas of intensive use by the species
- Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés
- Área Natural Protegida Punta León
- AMP Namuncurá – Banco Burdwood I
- AMP Namuncurá – Banco Burdwood II
- AMP Yaganes
- Hofmeyr, G.J.G. 2015. Mirounga leonina. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T13583A45227247. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T13583A45227247.en
- Eder, E. B.; Negrete, J.; Gribaudo, C. A.; Daneri, G. A.; Marín, M. R.; Grandi, M. F. (2019). Mirounga leonina. En: SAyDS–SAREM (eds.) Categorización 2019 de los mamíferos de Argentina según su riesgo de extinción. Lista Roja de los mamíferos de Argentina
- Falabella, V., Campagna, C., y Croxall, J. (Eds). (2009). Atlas del Mar Patagónico. Especies y Espacios. Buenos Aires, Wildlife Conservation Society y BirdLife International. http://www.atlas-marpatagonico.org
- Galimberti, F., Boitani, L., (1999). Demography and breeding biology of a small, localized population of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). Marine Mammal Science 15, 159–178.
- Falabella, V., Campagna, C. (2019). Informe del Primer Taller Regional de Evaluación del Estado de Conservación de Especies para el Mar Patagónico según criterios de la Lista Roja de UICN – 2016: Mamíferos Marinos. Foro para la Conservación del Mar Patagónico y áreas de influencia. http://marpatagonico.org/publicaciones/