The male's large proboscis functions to amplify the grunts and groans used to establish dominance. These amplified bellowing sounds can travel up to a mle. These seals were hunted to the verge of extinction in the 19the century. Thought to be extinct by 1884 a relict population of eight individuals was discovered on Guadalupe Island in 1892 by a Smithsonian expedition. These "researchers" shot seven to preserve them for their museum collections. With eventual protection the total population now exceeds 100,000 mature animals, all in the eastern North Pacific. Panasonic DMC-LX5.