A Path Less Trodden

Nature always has the power to both shock and awe. I’ve not seen leopard seals up close and personal before! It reinforces the fact that no matter how much mankind tries to control and subjugate the environment in which he/she lives, in the oceans we’re just part of the food chain.

Not great for penguins either!

The varied diet of these seals is reflected in their unusual tooth structure. As well as having large canines for dealing with bigger prey, their cheek teeth are serrated, which enables them to strain krill from the water. They also eat fish, penguins—and other seals. They tend to target crabeater and fur seals, but also juvenile Weddell, Ross, and southern Elephant seals.

Leopard seal feeding behavior is most easily seen when preying on penguins. The captured bird is thrashed about on the water until its skin peels away. The remaining carcass is then eaten. Nice.