Panchito, the elephant seal that has been stranded on a Nayarit beach

On the coasts of Nayarit (in central Mexico), it is common for dolphins and whales to run aground. But an elephant seal had not been seen, since these animals usually inhabit more than 500 kilometers north of this place. A specimen has been stranded on the San Pancho beach since July 5 and its presence has caught the attention of locals and visitors, who have already baptized it as Panchito .

A few moments ago this beautiful animal appeared on the beach of San Pancho, Nayarit. pic.twitter.com/TwmTJ5A28x

#Pancho or #Panchito, the southern elephant seal at Playa San Pancho #Nayarit, takes a dip in the sea and then returns to the sand to rest. pic.twitter.com/9KkzwNBx2m

However, there is still no certainty that Panchito is a northern or southern elephant seal. Roberto Moncada, marine biologist from the Technological Institute of Bahía de Banderas and president of the Marine Mammal Research Group, explains to Verne that Panchito may be a northern elephant seal (its scientific name is Mirounga angustirostris ), whose natural habitat goes from the coasts from the Gulf of Alaska to the north of the Baja California peninsula. "Other specialists refer that it is a specimen from the southern hemisphere ( Mirounga leonina ) and if so, this animal is very, very far from its habitat," he explains, via telephone. "It would be a record if I made it this far," he says.

Both species are inhabitants of cold waters, so it is unusual that they have arrived on the coasts of Nayarit, where the waters are quite warm. All in all, Panchito is a sea elephant that moves along the shore of the beach and sometimes enters the sea. "There are proposals to take a blood sample to measure his oxygen levels and also a genetic analysis to find out if he is from the south." However, Panchito weighs between 200 and 300 kilograms, in addition to being highly mobile on the beach. "We can not get close because it can bite, but we can not move it without running the risk of hurting it, for now we can only monitor it," says the researcher.

Photo courtesy of Paulina Vidriales.

The reasons for his arrival in central Mexico are still unclear. "We can only hypothesize why he is here," says biologist Moncada. These mammals do not usually move in groups, but they do swim long distances in search of food. On their journey, they often have encounters with other predatory animals or face food shortages, being a carnivorous mammal.

Climate change could also play against him. "Although mammals are more adapted to changing temperature conditions, it may have been a factor in getting them out of their habitat," says Moncada.

Sources from the Bahía de Banderas Marine Mammal Stranding Network headed by the Environmental Protection Office (Profepa) indicated to Verne that Panchito is in good condition and in a state of rest, so the area has been cordoned off for that tourists do not disturb it. "He may return to the sea and leave, or his health condition may worsen, and that is when we could intervene," concludes Moncada.

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