SEA-ELEPHANT

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1930, Page 2

SEA-ELEPHANT

UNUSUAL VISITOR AT DUNEDIN. , DUNEDIN, Dec. 28. A large made its appearance on the rocks near St. Clair yesterday. There *was a very iarge crowd on the beach all day, and several hundreds had ,a close-up view of the unusual visitor. . .'’Tiie’isea-elepliant first made its appearance at about half-past 10 on the rocks at the seaward side of the St. Clair ; baths; “ and after floundering about for some time, he made off in a direct line, out to sea. Later, however, he changed his mind and came ashore on the rockv< at the point between the baths and the second beach, where he attracted much attention for some time about noon, before lie decided to go to sea again. About 15ft in length, he appeared to be an “old man” sea-elephant. The sea-elephant, or elephant seal, is the largest of the seal family, the male Sometimes measuring 20ft in length. It is called the elephant seal because the nose is prolonged into a phort proboscis in the adult male. The colour is grayish, and the teeth relatively very small. The males are much larger than the females. Sea-elephants live in families and societies, and feed ,ort fish arid molluses,. especially cuttlefish. The skin furnishes leather and the oil is valuable for burning. The tongue only is palatable. Thqse animals. aro found only in the Indian and 'Southern Oceans.