Southern Elephant Seal
Adaptations
Image courtesy of www.animalfiles.com
Elephant seals have special adaptations for living in the ocean. For instance, they have zero legs, just flippers. These flippers allow them to swim very well in the water. Since they live in the coldness of Antarctica, it is good that they have many layers of blubber to keep them warm. With the blubber and flippers that they have, they will spend most of their cold winter in the water near the Antarctic pack ice. They also are able to hold their breath for up to two hours. This adaptation helps them stay under water long enough for them to get the food they need. With all these adaptations the Antarctic pack ice and the water make a wonderful place for the southern elephant seal to live.