Elephant Point on Livingstone Island in the South Shetland Islands

They are big, smelly and really noisy when they are in a large group and I am not talking just about males in general - even though all these seals happen to males. I am talking about the large Pinnipeds known as Southern Elephant Seals! They only come to shore typically twice a year - 1)To mate, where they fight to maintain a territory and hence defend their area, which will contain a harem of females he wishes to mate with; & 2)To molt - to regenerate their fur and skin to maintain their body temperature whilst they are in the freezing, deep waters for the rest of year.

This time they are molting. This it is what we refer to as a ”wallow”, which is when these large mammals (that can get up to 3-4 tonne in weight) will huddle together to maintain their body heat whilst they regenerate this outer protective layer that is vital to protect themselves against the cold elements of their environment.