A rare sighting of an Elephant Seal for first time in Sri Lanka

Image courtesy: Suchithra Hettiarachchi

A rare sighting was observed during the last few days in Sri Lanka when a Seal that is native to Antarctica was spotted for the first time. Termed as “Elephant Seal”, it belongs to the genus Mirounga. There are two species of Elephants Seals, namely; the Northern Elephant Seal and the Southern Elephant Seal. The Elephant Seal spotted in Sri Lanka is believed to be from the Southern Elephant Seal species. Although it was first spotted off the Southern Coast, it was spotted off the beach side of Colombo today (6^th December 2019). Its first spotting was recorded on the 20^th of November at Unawatuna beach of the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka. The authorities have decided to leave it alone until it finds its way back home to its comfort zone. This rare occasion has attracted the attention of many tourists as well as locals to catch a glimpse of this wonderful creature, which is a once in a lifetime experience.

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