Sequence of events of a male elephant seal retrieving a distressed calf in Point Reyes, California: (a) the female called to her calf which was swept away by the waves and carried out to sea; (b) the male used a lot of energy to charge across the wet sand to the waves and swam towards the pup; (c) while swimming, the male gently pushed the cub towards the shore with his head and body; (d) the male positioned himself on solid sand while in the wave current to physically prevent the pup from being swept outward by the waves; (e) the female bellowed after finding her young and the pair moved up the beach away from the waterline; and (f) the male trumpeted at the edge of the wave a few seconds after the female bellowed. Credit: Marine Mammal Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/mms.13105
A trio of conservationists observed for the first time an act of altruism performed by a male elephant seal. In their article published in the journal Marine mammal science, Sarah Allen, Matthew Lau, and Sarah Codde offer photographic evidence and describe the events they observed.
Male elephant seals are large and bulky and are known to rest on beaches while warming up. But they are also known for their ardent behavior during mating season: many have been seen crushing other animals, baby elephant seals and other objects as they attempt to reach and mount a female. Bulls are also known to fast during the breeding season, meaning they typically only expend energy during mating maneuvers.
So it came as a surprise when the three researchers, who were walking along the beach at Point Reyes National Seashore in California, taking photos of the elephant seals, came upon the bull as it rushed into the ocean to help a puppy who had let the tide take his position: he was drowning. Noticing this rare behavior, the researchers took out their cameras and began recording the action.
The trio of researchers said they first passed by the mother and her pup, as well as the bull. Everything seemed normal. But as they made the return trip, they noticed the tide had swept the puppy into the water and he was screaming for help. The mother, rather than helping, yelled at her puppy. The bull, for his part, reacted with determination. He sprang into action, undulating his body characteristically and dragging himself through the water. Once there, he swam up to the puppy and very gently pushed him towards the shore, near where his mother was waiting for him.
The researchers note that because the seal was expending energy it would normally have used for mating – energy that, once lost, could prove dangerous to its own health – a behavior referred to as acting of altruism.
After their observation, the trio of researchers searched the literature and found no other examples of such behavior from a male elephant seal, suggesting that they were a unique event. They were unable to explain the seal’s behavior, but suggest it must have been driven by factors known only to the seal itself.
More information:
Sarah G. Allen et al, An observation of potential altruism in a male elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), Marine Mammal Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/mms.13105
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Quote: Act of altruism observed in a male elephant seal (February 8, 2024) retrieved on February 8, 2024 from
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