Sealing The Deal

“Bloody hell! That’s the biggest sea leopard I’ve ever seen,” cried photographer Paul Nicklen. “Leopard seals are pretty scary predators, especially if you’re a penguin. But they can be friendly to other leopard seals, which is something that Paul learned during one of his trips to Antarctica. He was taking underwater photos when a leopard seal started feeding him penguins, starting with live ones, which were released close to him (to see if he would catch them), and ending with half-chewed dead ones. One theory is that the leopard seal saw his reflection in the lens of the camera and thought that Nicklen was a fellow predator, but an awkward one in need of some help. This went on for four days – and there are some great photos.”