elephant seal

noun

|Updated on: 27 May 2018

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

Recent Examples of elephant seal from the Web

The five-year effort will use tools ranging from radar devices dragged across the ice to image the glacier’s interior to autonomous underwater vehicles to sensors attached to elephant seals.

— andrea thompson, Scientific American, "Antarctic Quest Seeks to Predict the Fate of a Linchpin Glacier," 14 May 2018
Here's a look at what the elephant seals and their pups are up to.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "This adorable seal pup was spotted on NC beach. Now warnings are being issued.," 22 Jan. 2018
This abundance of food draws in sea lions, harbor seals and, more rarely, elephant seals, which breed at Año Nuevo to the south.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Bay Area coast’s secret haunt for great white sharks," 22 Jan. 2018
But its accumulation in the blood helps elephant seals make deep dives in the ocean, researchers reported here last week at the biennial meeting of the Marine Mammal Society.

— elizabeth pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Killer gas aids elephant seals’ deep dives," 1 Nov. 2017
The elephant seal also has much more red blood cells than these other animals.

— elizabeth pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Killer gas aids elephant seals’ deep dives," 1 Nov. 2017
Jorgensen and others say other marine mammal populations—particularly sea lions and elephant seals—have risen dramatically, and the animals now often occupy new areas.

— National Geographic, "Mysterious Great White Shark Attacks on Sea Otters Surge," 23 June 2016
In the world of elephant seal mating, the alpha decides who gets access to the females, and who gets to be alpha is decided by a bloody fight.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "5 Videos Show the Irresistible Charm of Seals," 19 Sep. 2017
These sights guarantee a good lookout: Point Mugu State Park in Malibu, the elephant seal colony near San Simeon pier, and the magnificent 1932 Bixby Bridge between Big Sur and Carmel.

— david keeps, ELLE Decor, "ELLE DECOR Goes to Coastal California," 11 May 2011

These 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.