%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F8fe16a88-61d9-4125-ba77-d7256ca8f553-antarctic-fur-seal.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F8fe16a88-61d9-4125-ba77-d7256ca8f553-antarctic-fur-seal.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Nosso especialista diz… "Os lobos-marinhos se reúnem em grandes números em novembro, pois este é o auge da época de reprodução. São tantos que algumas praias ficam fechadas. Viajantes em janeiro ou fevereiro poderão ver muitos filhotes, que nessa altura já estão muito curiosos com os visitantes!"
Ao contrário do que o nome sugere, o lobo-marinho-antártico é mais comumente encontrado nas ilhas subantárticas, como Geórgia do Sul, Malvinas e Ilhas Shetland do Sul, e não no próprio continente gelado.
De forma impressionante, a Geórgia do Sul abriga mais de 95% da população mundial de lobos-marinhos-antárticos – cerca de 6 milhões de indivíduos vivem ao redor desta ilha de 160 km de extensão. Ver um lobo-marinho-antártico aqui é uma das poucas ocasiões na exploração polar em que se pode garantir o avistamento de um animal!
Os lobos-marinhos-antárticos possuem pescoço mais longo e focinho mais pontudo do que outros membros da família dos pinípedes, podendo ser confundidos por visitantes com leões-marinhos. Essa confusão é agravada pelos bigodes muito longos e evidentes que os adultos desenvolvem.
Esses animais apresentam grande dimorfismo sexual, ou seja, há uma grande diferença de forma e tamanho entre machos e fêmeas. Enquanto as fêmeas podem chegar a 1,4 m de comprimento e pesar até 34 kg, os machos podem atingir 2 m de comprimento e pesar impressionantes 136 kg!
Uma condição incomum a ser observada é a variante “loiro pálido”. Cerca de 1 em cada 1.000 filhotes nasce com essa coloração mais clara, que permanece na vida adulta.
As fêmeas começam a chegar às colônias para dar à luz em dezembro, e sincronizam tão bem os partos que 90% dos filhotes nascem dentro do mesmo período de 10 dias em cada colônia, todos os anos. Os filhotes são desmamados com cerca de quatro meses de idade e seguem para o mar, onde podem permanecer por vários anos antes de retornar à colônia quando estiverem maduros o suficiente para se reproduzir.
Os lobos-marinhos-antárticos do Atlântico Sul alimentam-se principalmente de krill, e não de peixes, e os machos às vezes caçam pinguins.
Desde o fim da caça comercial, o lobo-marinho-antártico se recuperou de forma notável e hoje se reproduz em grandes números. Suas principais ameaças são os leopardo-marinhos, que caçam os filhotes, e os efeitos das mudanças climáticas sobre o krill, do qual dependem.
They are very aggressive during the breeding season, especially frustrated males without a harem. Once they reach and spread along the Antarctic Peninsula, many just want to rest and to be left undisturbed as they go through a moult, although they still get agitated with each other.
It is important to give them space at this time. Some may grunt or snarl at you, then go back to resting, and it is often the younger males (with more energy?), that may do mock charges.
At this time it is important to listen to staff. Wherever you are, remember to keep 25 to 50m from fur seals. If they do charge, hold you ground and raise you hands, and they should back off. If you turn and run they may continue to chase you.
If you get a more aggressive fur seal that continues to challenge you, try to stand you ground and make a noise to deter the fur seal by clapping you hands. But do try and avoid making a noise and too much fuss with those initial mock charges, fur seals are likely to back off and relax, rather become more agitated with everyone shouting and clapping.
Every encounter is different and with a lot of fur seals around there are likely to be staff to guide you on where to go, and areas to stay away from.
Also look out for hidden fur seals relaxing behind rocks or in hollows, and, when you walk past resting fur seals, keep an eye behind you. Sometimes, rather like a farm dog, some fur seals (often the younger ones!) may 'sneak' up behind you.
Finally, never lie on the ground with fur seals around (e.g. the low photographer pose), and be wary of kneeling.

%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F8fe16a88-61d9-4125-ba77-d7256ca8f553-antarctic-fur-seal.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Fab89b3f4-0f70-477d-861e-3f34899ad39d-antarctic-peninsula_scenery-2.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Ftrip%2Fb31087c7-d212-4da8-897e-4969ff497f6e-spirit-of-antarctica-ice.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F7e36aebc-c0ea-48d3-9717-8844974f9cac-deception-island-antarctica-andreas-kalvig-anderson.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F4af22f59-0ece-41ac-ad40-bfa9a0cb6574-2019-03-03_chinstrap_penguin_on_barrientos_island-_antarctica.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F1a202d7a-70cc-496c-ad4d-7b82ccae9946-carcass_island_-15908746147-.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fhighlight%2F90854037-9bc6-4fc7-9079-28ee39f61998-5892433117_019406bed0_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fb6565a47-ded2-4efa-b85f-e043bc4b1670-1280px-00_2118_antarctica_-_cuverville_island.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F2e376abf-b598-41eb-a8bf-dfe1df76c7ea-6932910704_58cf5a7c1a_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Feb8fc057-88df-4b30-aaf6-9a2caf2988c6-antarctica--visitor-site-danco-2.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F6e195897-43c3-4900-b3ec-cc563c350439-0cd75c35f202090454281ba9aca2f893a82b946b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Ff96cfed8-6af9-4332-a50f-02fe1dc7abb8-gentoo_penguins_at_trinity_island-_antarctica.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2F53d45aa3-1302-43cd-a930-18b62f64d17a-elephant-1.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F75128089-1953-413b-a3d9-7cdae3e16bca-12193374714_ff19c8529c_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F53d22f3b-a72e-4c48-9814-43a44f011a40-ronge_island_-16100202330-.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F2cfad560-8c3a-4406-8465-40c6228b809d-4465778b40d8980d24907b7a07744bfd811364e8.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fcc3bb842-0131-48d2-ab49-2d3d87491366-goudier_island-2016-port_lockroy_02.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F5f5625fb-1505-4304-8248-40004fa159e1-cinema_grytviken_south_georgia.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F558d07bd-833e-4799-9b9e-f29ac4e528f8-half_moon_island-_antarctica._-24847183211-.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fd779267f-e6bd-4ac2-b7ed-d66990d3aa81-antarctica--visitor-site-hannah-point-1jpg.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F453b69e9-4153-47dd-ae1f-a71a9dc8837f-pygoscelis_papua_-jougla_point-_wiencke_island-_palmer_archipelago_-adult_on_nest-8.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Ffc5a4e5f-1b13-4973-882f-a5810f124d5d-5692724860_8a13c57974_b.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fhighlight%2F2c936734-8680-4de5-b668-c993ae140bb1-40374007303_06c5237fd1_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Fa3f9a3b3-ce87-4d89-9b89-ed180dde1c72-orne_harbor-_antarctica_-24940429415-.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F3dc4c532-7f79-4adc-87eb-3151ebf8f686-f1beb97ccefc46212a04e0d4bb428cf0ac83f6c8-1-.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fc25f30c8-899d-4f18-8d44-f95780a602b5-antarctica--visitor-site-paulet-island-1.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F644c4ee4-8afe-42e5-ac70-2086278366c7-36ef6f6ff2deec2e7a763fe121101ceb6aeba512.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2F3a043897-2734-4efe-bdb4-9288ca8c6b96-penguin-island-blue-animal.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F69cdf147-1a09-473e-a16a-3318d4f065e0-petermann_island-_antarctica_-16580347011-.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2F06414fc3-47a0-4451-8891-3a9114511e7c-antarctica--visitor-site-pleneau-island-1.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F98bc0242-df52-4211-86c9-5b64d811da89-south_shetland-2016-elephant_island_-point_wild-bust_of_luis_pardo_01.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Fe064dbfc-c765-4a6d-8916-455a2df34746-49415083867_394b2e5011_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2F6d29473e-eae9-43a6-b5ff-c098b80fdd40-antarctica--visitor-site-portal-point-1.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F55fd5865-bef4-4c58-9613-c85082ea6fd9-sgi-2016-south_georgia_-prion_island-wandering_albatross_-diomedea_exulans-_06.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Fe7b917cb-af87-4830-b4d4-e829b4eff2c4-salisbury-plain-south-georgia-fotografie-dietmar-denger-oceanwide-expeditions83.jpg_dietmar-denger.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Fc82aed35-e74f-41d5-a6a6-c8920819a657-5917674570_f42f5f363f_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2F9ecd9dd5-4fb8-4f4d-b42a-bef0abf271cf-2020-03_quest_for_the_antarctic_circle-108.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2F604556ef-e40c-4e9e-bacf-aaf63da36d5e-2020-03_quest_for_the_antarctic_circle-263.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F1ef84b6b-94d3-4fd6-ae62-e6abd52cb8d1-ee2884e0a5e3e95d987992de8acd721835dfa6cd.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Fd77a9a1d-487d-4e16-bedb-0bf2690fd0e3-5dbd11b24e52d75603fc8e9656a5b1bf161af204.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Feec92729-17bf-4b08-b4ee-f9ad6a48498e-antarctica--visitor-site-telefon-bay-1.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fb5faac46-3550-4d92-9112-a95474cd7ca8-drawimage.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F67cfbf62-7570-4f2d-a1b0-42d57f83f9ee-13ca02107efe8c21dd3f2bb963128851fbfbcecf.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F0cbe8ef7-d0c7-45c5-a5d1-98b09f2f1f4f-d8f06b0737b1734dae5e5316f2409d47ee16566d.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F9d486315-74dd-466f-94c0-b3d12a480541-8563855043_c961a27cf6_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2F3ef39db1-c94f-47cb-a7cc-e800a380134c-12920672975_38b675b241_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
%3Aformat(webp)%2Fheader_media%2Fd81e0836-48f2-460f-b880-7e92b9e7fe5b-15850187318_21779a2a39_b.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)