Did you know that the leopard seal is a dreaded predator in Antarctica?

The leopard seal is an accomplished swimmer with good hunting instincts. Photo: Tor Ivan Karlsen / Norwegian Polar Institute

The leopard seal lives in the seas around Antarctica; it can be over three metres long and weigh 400 kilos. The seal has very strong teeth and a huge gaping mouth with powerful jaws, that allow it to feed on many different creatures. Leopard seals eat krill, penguins, squids, and fish; it is considered a skillful hunter – and the most dangerous predator in Antarctica.

When the leopard seal is hunting penguins in the icy seas, it hides under the water surface until it goes to attack. The seal latches onto its prey and tries to beat it senseless before consuming it.

On land the leopard seal makes a clumsy impression but in water they are skilled swimmers, possessing both speed and agility. Their large and unusually long flippers allow them to make rapid lunges and catch their prey.