Translations:AY Honors/Marine Mammals/Answer Key/8/en

Arctocephalus gazella

Antarctic Fur Seal (Arctocephalus gazella)

Where found: As its name suggests, the Antarctic Fur Seal is distributed in Antarctic waters. Around 95% of the world population breeds at South Georgia.

Description: This fur seal has a short and broad snout compared with others in the family. Adult males are dark brown. Females and juveniles tend to be grey with a lighter underside. Antarctic Fur Seals appear to act alone when foraging and migrating. A strong male may have more than a dozen female partners in a single season. Territories are established on breeding grounds in October to early November, when the musty-smelling males are extremely aggressive in defense of their harems. Females gestate for just over a year - giving birth in November or December. Pups are weaned at about month old. Juveniles may then spend several years in the water before returning to begin their breeding cycle.