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Leopard Seals
NOVEMBER 2006
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Soulful Seals
Photograph by Paul Nicklen
A leopard seal plunges through Antarctic waters. Swift and stealthy, adult leopard seals tend to be solitary creatures, hunting alone at the fringes of pack ice. Finding a mate can be challenging, given their isolation and the fact that females are in estrus only a few days each year. Both males and females sing, a trait uncommon among mammals. But females sing to announce their readiness to mate. Male leopard seals will spend as many as 13 hours a day serenading potential mates with complex melodies that can carry 25 miles (40 kilometers) underwater. Australian researcher Tracey Rogers describes the songs, produced as the males rock back and forth, as "soulful and stylized."
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Camera: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Format: Digital
Lens: 27mm
Speed and F-Stop: 1/320 @ f/8
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Weather Conditions: Overcast with high clouds
Time of Day: Midday
Lighting Techniques: Available light
Special Equipment: Two Ikelite SS200 strobes, Seacam housing, waterproof dry suit
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