Weddell Seal

  • Common Name: Weddell Seal
  • Scientific Name: Leptonychotes weddellii
  • Date Taken: January 2001
  • Location:
  • Brown Bluff
  • Paradise Bay
  • Deception Island, South Shetland Islands
  • Photographer: Howard Cunningham

Weddell Seals are circumpolar in the Southern
Hemisphere, and have the southernmost range of
any seal. They are most abundant on fast ice,
but are also found in pack ice zones. They weigh
400 to 600 kg. and have a life span of 20 to 30
years. They can dive as deep as 600 m. under the
ice. Their diet is mainly marine creatures
including fish, crustaceans, squid and prawns.
They are preyed upon by Orcas and Leopard seals.
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