Skinny Dipping On Park Avenue

These Southern Elephant Seals (Mirounga leonina) are depicted at an infamous building on Park Avenue designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and can weigh more than 8,000 lbs. They were photographed in their wild, natural habitat on the Island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica. They were once hunted to the brink of extinction by the end of the 19th century, but since, their numbers have recovered to nearly three quarters of a million. The successful rebound of this species is due as much to the cessation in hunting as it is to the protection of their breeding grounds by international treaties, UNESCO World Heritage site designations, and national legislation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now lists their status as Least Concern.