Wildlife

Return to Shark Island: Elephant Seals (1x1)

: 14, 2011

The small Pacific island of Guadalupe off the coast of Mexico isn't normally the site of life-or-death drama. But in winter huge elephant seals arrive here to breed. The dominant male, a big bull is nearly five meters long and weighs over two tons. In order to leave as many offspring as possible, the bull mates incessantly and will go for months without eating. He threatens and attacks younger bulls to keep them away from the females. Meanwhile, great white sharks prowl the surrounding waters for females weakened after giving birth and their pups. Based on the latest scientific research, this program reveals how the elephant seals ward off the shark attacks and survive.