Elephant seals undergo remarkable physiological feats including catastrophic molt and prolonged fasting that are natural but create specific welfare vulnerabilities during vulnerable periods.
Elephant seals during molt and fasting are physiologically committed to these processes but highly vulnerable to disturbance. A molting seal forced to flee into the water by human approach wastes precious energy reserves at a time when it cannot feed. Young seals and post-partum females with minimal energy reserves are particularly at risk. The remarkable physiological adaptations of elephant seals - surviving months without food on stored blubber - are compromised when disturbance increases energy expenditure during the most vulnerable periods.