I recieved an alert from a friend at the
Port Stephens Fisheries Institute that there was a Leopard Seal (
Hydrurga leptonyx) at Peppers Anchorage Marina early this week. I went down with the camera to investigate. This particular marine predator is a youngster, the adults I saw in Antarctica were at least twice this size! Some interesting records of Leopard Seal sightings in Australia:
ABC Pool: Leopard Seal Observations
I was lucky enough to capture some images of this extremely rare visitor to our shores:
|
An array of serious looking teeth! |
|
Adds a new dimension to boating! |
|
The Leopard's spots |
|
Looks like the Seal has recently been wounded by a larger predator |