Leopard Seal Hunting
The Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the Southern Elephant Seal). It is most common in the southern hemisphere along the coast of Antarctica and on most sub-Antarctic islands, but can also be found on the coasts of southern Australia, Tasmania, South Africa, New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, Tierra del Fuego, the Cook Islands, and the Atlantic coast of South America. It can live twenty-six years, possibly more. Orcas and large sharks are the only natural predators of leopard seals.Photos by Amos Nachoun / Barcroft USA.
Along with all of the other earless seals, it belongs to the family Phocidae, and is the only species in the genus Hydrurga.
The leopard seal is large and muscular, with a dark grey back and light grey on its stomach. Its throat is whitish with the black spots that give the seal its common name. Females are generally slightly larger than the males on average.[5] The bulls are generally 2.5–3.2 m (8.2–10 ft) and weigh between 200 and 453.5 kg (440 and 1,000 lb), while cows are between 2.4 and 3.4 m (7.9 and 11 ft) in length and weigh between 225 and 591 kg (500 and 1,300 lb).
Compared to most phocids, the Leopard seal is highly evolved for its role as apex predator. Although it is a true seal and swims with its hind limbs, it has powerful and highly developed forelimbs similar to sea lions, giving it a similar maneuverability, a classic example of convergent evolution. Like these eared seals, the Leopard Seal is a shallow water hunter, and does not dive deep like the other seals of the Antarctic (the Weddell seal, the Ross seal and the two species of elephant seals) which can all dive to several hundred meters in search of squid. The leopard seal has an unusually loose jaw that can open more than 160 degrees allowing it to bite larger prey.
Like most carnivores, its front teeth are sharp, but its molars lock together in a way that allows them to sieve krill from the water, similar to the Crabeater seal.
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Oh wow…. awesome photography….
Wow those seals look intimidating. I saw a animal planet show about them. I would have wet my wetsuit if I was that diver. Those seals were super aggressive and agile. Not like a shark that just swims straight at you and you know where it is coming from.