South Georgia Island
He is a large bull fur seal, nine or ten years old, and as fully-grown as he’s likely to get. He came ashore on the beach at Elsehul, South Georgia, just one week ago, after two or three weeks at sea. At sea he fed well on krill and small fish, packing away fat and building up strength for a busy time ahead. He is fit and healthy, and all ready to start the breeding season. His first job was to find a place on the brow of the beach, where the cow seals gather. That was not difficult. One of the biggest seals around, he soon found that other, lesser bulls made way for him. If they didn’t, he lumbered up and threatened them with a growl and a roar, and if that didn’t work, he bit and shook them hard. When the females came up from the sea in ones and twos, some of them settled near him. Now there are ten females around him, three already with pups, the rest about to give birth. His constant threats keep other bulls away, so the cows have a relatively peaceful time.
We watch from the Zodiacs just offshore. If we went ashore, he and his rivals would see us as a threat, and try to chase us off. There’s enough hassle as it is, so we stay on board, where we’re no threat to any of them. Other fur seals, both cows and bulls, cavort in the water around us, waiting their chance to get ashore. It’s a busy time in downtown Elsehul; it will be busier still in two to three weeks, when there are twice as many fur seals ashore, and the mating season has begun.
He is a large bull fur seal, nine or ten years old, and as fully-grown as he’s likely to get. He came ashore on the beach at Elsehul, South Georgia, just one week ago, after two or three weeks at sea. At sea he fed well on krill and small fish, packing away fat and building up strength for a busy time ahead. He is fit and healthy, and all ready to start the breeding season. His first job was to find a place on the brow of the beach, where the cow seals gather. That was not difficult. One of the biggest seals around, he soon found that other, lesser bulls made way for him. If they didn’t, he lumbered up and threatened them with a growl and a roar, and if that didn’t work, he bit and shook them hard. When the females came up from the sea in ones and twos, some of them settled near him. Now there are ten females around him, three already with pups, the rest about to give birth. His constant threats keep other bulls away, so the cows have a relatively peaceful time.
We watch from the Zodiacs just offshore. If we went ashore, he and his rivals would see us as a threat, and try to chase us off. There’s enough hassle as it is, so we stay on board, where we’re no threat to any of them. Other fur seals, both cows and bulls, cavort in the water around us, waiting their chance to get ashore. It’s a busy time in downtown Elsehul; it will be busier still in two to three weeks, when there are twice as many fur seals ashore, and the mating season has begun.
