Definition of elephant seal
: either of two very large seals (genus Mirounga of the family Phocidae) characterized by a long inflatable proboscis:
a
: one (M. angustirostris) found in Pacific coastal waters from southeastern Alaska to Baja California
b
: one (M. leonina) found in coastal waters of subantarctic islands and Patagonia
Examples of elephant seal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Piedras Blancas Rookery is the only elephant seal rookery in the world that’s easily accessible, free, and open to the public every day.
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Lea Lane, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021
Highway 1 is an iconic span of roadway along California’s coast, with thirteen state parks, a marine sanctuary, and even an elephant seal rookery contained within it.
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Ali Wunderman, Forbes, 16 June 2021
April and May are busy months at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery, according to Friends of the Elephant Seal, as adult female and juvenile seals return to shore to molt.
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Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2021
According to prosecutors, Gerbich drove to an elephant seal viewing area near the Piedras Blancas Marine Reserve and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on Sept. 28, 2019.
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CBS News, 14 Apr. 2021
In the ferocious arena of a northern elephant seal colony, where few males ever get to mate, jostling suitors often face bloody battles over access to groups of females.
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Chris Baraniuk, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2020
Casey suspects that the ruthless nature of male elephant seal society is what prompts the development of individualistic vocalizations.
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Chris Baraniuk, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2020
From the wild landscape of Big Sur to the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery in San Simeon to agricultural walking tours in Monterey County, there’s plenty to see and learn when kids aren’t logged on to their home classroom.
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Larry Bleiberg, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2020
Each December, more than 3,000 northern elephant seals haul themselves out of the frigid Pacific waters onto the shores of northern California’s Año Nuevo State Park.
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Carrie Arnold, National Geographic, 23 Sep. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'elephant seal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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“Elephant seal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant%20seal. Accessed 16 Jan. 2022.
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The first known use of elephant seal was in 1839
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