SwissEduc - Glaciers online - Antarctic Peninsula (Southwest)

Wildlife: Seals Seals are early arrivals at Rothera, following the start of the break-up of the sea ice. Elephant and Weddell seals are the most abundant species, but we also saw a few crabeater seals. Leopard seals, which are potentially dangerous, are also sometimes seen. Sadly one fatally attacked a British diver in 2003. The elephant seals are quite aggressive towards each other at times, and commonly spar with each other. However, at other times they spend most of their time resting on floes or the land. These 3m long animals are also somewhat of a nuisance, as demonstrated by several animals parking themselves on the road from base to the airstrip, totally blocking it. Weddell seals are arguably the visually most attractive of Antarctic seals, with their “smiley” faces, and they operate further south than any other species. At Rothera, they too were spending most of their time in November-December resting on ice floes or on the snow-covered shore, but they kept away from the field station.
Elephant seal in its environment, resting on a floe against a background of glaciers and icebergs.	Elephant seal slowly working its way across fast ice.	The wrinkled rubber-like neck of the Elephant seal is indicative of the thick layers of blubber that was once exploited for oil.	This elephant seal on the road at Rothera is "snarling" when station staff tried to encourage it to move.
The heavily scarred face of an elephant seal, resting on the insulated service pipes at the field station.	Elephant seal at sea, and apparently "grinning".	Elephant seal amongst shoreline rocks and ice floes.	A pair of elephant seals "nosey up" to each other.
The strong flippers enable the elephant seal to leave the water at an impressive turn of speed.	A pair of elephant seals sparring in the water, but not aggressively so.	A large elephant seal has decided to take a long rest on the Rothera road. Later, it was joined by several others.	Weddell seal resting on the snow-covered shore.
A trio of Weddell seals, all aligned, resting on shore-fast ice.	A pair of Weddell seals on a decaying iceberg.	Weddell seal lurks behind fractured ice on a bergy bit.	The face of a Weddell seal.
Weddell seal snoozing.	Weddell seal stretching on an ice floe.	Heavily scarred crabeater seal on an ice floe.	Face of a crabeater sea on an ice floe.
These photographs were taken at Rothera at a distance of several metres or more, using a telephoto setting on a zoom lens, sometimes from an elevated position, to avoid disturbing the animals; Michael Hambrey, November and December 2012.

Wildlife: Seals