While males often become aggressive, this one’s behavior is extreme. Last month, the seal bit the leg of a surfer in the ocean after the surfer fell on the animal. … “I saw the elephant seal come out of the water like a torpedo, angle down on the dog and land on him,” said Lowrey.

Do elephant seals attack humans?

They dive to an average of 1,300 to 2,100 feet and sometimes to 3,000 feet, nearly twice as deep as any other seal species. The pressure, 90 times greater than at the surface, would kill humans.

Are southern elephant seals aggressive?

Mating Battles and Reproduction Some encounters end with roaring and aggressive posturing, but many others turn into violent and bloody battles. Sea elephants, as these seals are sometimes called, give birth in late winter to a single pup and nurse it for approximately a month.