QUESTION:
Has an elephant seal ever gotten stuck on land?

         Mrs. Gindorff's class at Brimhall School
         Roseville, MN, USA.  

ANSWER from Steve Emslie, Researcher 
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Fri, 21 Mar 1997 15:17:29 -0500
 
Hello Mrs. Gindorff's Class,

Seals and sea lions would be stuck on land only if they were
injured or disoriented by disease;  these animals rarely die on land.  
I have seen sea lions crawl inland and die because they were sick.  
I have never seen a healthy elephant seal get stuck anywhere, even 
though they appear clumsy and heavy (the adult males do weigh 
several tons, but they actually can move quite quickly if you get too 
close to them).  It is possible that one of these animals could fall into 
a crevice and become stuck and die, but I do not know of any such records.

Steve Emslie