Un elefante marino del sur (Mirounga leonina) en el estuario interior del Golfo de Guayaquil; lecciones de un evento inusual
An elephant seal was recorded on 23 October 2017 in the Milagro River, Ecuador (2°7’34’’S, 79°40´16”W). Its size was estimated at approximately 4 m in length and between 1 and 2 tons in weight. A well-developed proboscis and scars behind the head indicated that it was an adult male. His presence coincides with the time when the southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina come to shore for breeding, which would be the reason for this unusual record. Thermal anomalies due to the recent ENSO event would explain the extensive movement of this specimen outside of its normal distribution range. Previous records of elephant seals in Ecuador show uncertainty in the identification of the species, so this would be the first confirmed record of southern elephant seal in Ecuadorian waters. The animal was forced to leave the Milagro River by personnel of governmental agencies and local people in response to the media pressure generated by its presence. Some recommendations to authorities are made to deal more appropriately in future events of this type
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| Format: | Journal Contribution biblioteca |
| Language: | Spanish / Castilian |
| Published: |
2018
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| Subjects: | Mirounga leonina, Marine mammals, El Nino phenomena, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/15426 |
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| Summary: | An elephant seal was recorded on 23 October 2017 in the Milagro River, Ecuador (2°7’34’’S, 79°40´16”W). Its size was estimated at approximately 4 m in length and between 1 and 2 tons in weight. A well-developed proboscis and scars behind the head indicated that it was an adult male. His presence coincides with the time when the southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina come to shore for breeding, which would be the reason for this unusual record. Thermal anomalies due to the recent ENSO event would explain the extensive movement of this specimen outside of its normal distribution range. Previous records of elephant seals in Ecuador show uncertainty in the identification of the species, so this would be the first confirmed record of southern elephant seal in Ecuadorian waters. The animal was forced to leave the Milagro River by personnel of governmental agencies and local people in response to the media pressure generated by its presence. Some recommendations to authorities are made to deal more appropriately in future events of this type |
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