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Archive 2012 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

jdc562
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p.1 #1 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

Winter is mating season for Northern Elephant Seals. Thousands of adults leave the water to set up residence on rookery beaches. After the two-ton bulls establish their harems of 20-30 females, and the females finish their birthing and nursing, the females enter estrus and the mating marathon begins. The females must mate before returning to sea, and passion peaks around Valentine's Day.

1. It starts with the harem master declaring his territory with a posture display and a loud "conk, conk, conk..." that resonates in his ample nasal cavity.
http://cubit.smugmug.com/Other/Elephant-Seals/i-gNsj545/3/XL/DSC5543-c-XL.jpg

2. The harem consists of just one male and many females. The harem master (right) drives a young "sneaker" male (left) from the harem, as two of his females watch.
http://cubit.smugmug.com/Other/Elephant-Seals/i-zRMLSQK/3/XL/DSC4958-XL.jpg

3. A harem master begins the mating sequence with one of his females.
http://cubit.smugmug.com/Other/Elephant-Seals/i-Ln4Zwhz/3/XL/DSC5267-XL.jpg

4. A harem female in estrus tries to initiate mating with the harem master, but he is exhausted after a morning of fighting and mating.
http://cubit.smugmug.com/Other/Elephant-Seals/i-dKH2P2t/3/XL/DSC5556-XL.jpg

5. The female gives up and slumps against the male's flank until he is ready to return to action.
http://cubit.smugmug.com/Other/Elephant-Seals/i-tGrzwfG/3/XL/DSC5560-XL.jpg

6. Raucous passion.
http://cubit.smugmug.com/Other/Elephant-Seals/i-wzX5Nsm/3/XL/DSC5075-XL.jpg

7. Coital bliss.
http://cubit.smugmug.com/Other/Elephant-Seals/i-35Rx8Qp/1/XL/DSC5341-v2-f-XL.jpg
Happy Valentine's Day!

Edited on Feb 11, 2012 at 02:26 PM · View previous versions

Feb 11, 2012 at 02:08 PM

Taoguy
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p.1 #2 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

John - Great series and story! Also give hope to all of us males gifted with nose charm.

Gerard

Feb 11, 2012 at 02:25 PM

surfnron
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p.1 #3 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

Nice photos and interesting story John ~ Ron

Feb 11, 2012 at 07:30 PM

KCollett
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p.1 #4 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

Interesting set John. And good commentary too.

Feb 11, 2012 at 11:03 PM

sritri
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p.1 #5 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

Lovely series John. The last one is superb !

Feb 11, 2012 at 11:06 PM

David Leask
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p.1 #6 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

Great sequence John, thanks for sharing.
David

Feb 12, 2012 at 05:30 AM

kmunroe
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p.1 #7 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

very nice series John .. i like them all

Feb 12, 2012 at 06:13 AM

jdc562
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p.1 #8 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

Taoguy wrote:
John - Great series and story! Also give hope to all of us males gifted with nose charm.

Gerard

Gerard as in G�rard Depardieu?

It's true, the females on the beach have plenty of males of all ages and nose sizes to choose among, and they choose the oldest males with the biggest proboscises.
---John

Feb 13, 2012 at 02:17 PM

jdc562
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p.1 #9 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

surfnron wrote:
Nice photos and interesting story John ~ Ron

Thanks, Ron. As an old-timer biologist, I have a hard time resisting the commentary part, but worry about it boring the viewers.
---John

Feb 13, 2012 at 02:19 PM

jdc562
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p.1 #10 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

sritri wrote:
Lovely series John. The last one is superb !

Thanks Sritri! I like the last one, too, and used it for my Valentine's cards this year. (You can guess what kinds of friends I have.)

Feb 13, 2012 at 02:21 PM

jdc562
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p.1 #11 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

KCollett wrote:
Interesting set John. And good commentary too.

Thanks! And I'm glad you appreciated the commentary.
---John

Feb 13, 2012 at 02:23 PM

jdc562
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p.1 #12 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

David Leask wrote:
Great sequence John, thanks for sharing.
David

Thanks David.

Feb 13, 2012 at 02:23 PM

jdc562
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p.1 #13 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

kmunroe wrote:
very nice series John .. i like them all

Glad you liked them! They were fun to photograph.
---John

Feb 13, 2012 at 02:25 PM

gschrade
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p.1 #14 · Valentine's Special: Passion in the Harem (graphic warning)

Looks like quite the set of battle scars defending that harem.

George

Feb 13, 2012 at 02:49 PM


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