Out molting at Onrus beach, is an elephant seal, whose name is Buffel.
Meredith Thornton, coordinator at the South African Stranding Network, said the seal was also spotted in Duiker Island, Cape Point and Fish Hoek beaches.
The Overstrand Municipality encouraged people visiting the beach, to keep theur distance, and leave Buffel in peace.
According to Cape Town Freediving, Elephant seals are said to have evolved in the Pacific Ocean 5 – 2 million years ago.
They were divided into two types of species, the Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), and the Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina).
Every year Elephant seals come to breed and moult, on the coastlines of South Africa, New Zealand and South America, and the southern hemisphere.
Molting for seals, allows the growing of hair and skin for all seals, except babies (pups), between March and September.
During this process, their skin peels off, completely.
Pups do not need to grow hair, they are born with baby fur.
A study by Laura Charlanne, a PhD student, Laureline Chaise and Caroline Gilbert, revealed seals eat and hunt during the molting process.
These researchers examined stomach temperature and movement patterns of molting female seals. “We find that 79% of females swam and 61% ingested water or prey items, despite the cost of cold-water exposure while molting.”
Elephants seals eat squad and fish, rays and surprisingly, sharks.
Females could live up to 20 years, while males live up to about 14 years.
Oceans of fun says there are approximately 2 million seals in South Africa.
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Picture: Overstrand Municipality