The leopard seal is a sleek, powerful predator with a large reptile-like head. It is usually solitary and hard to study in the vast pack ice, so much of its behaviour remains poorly known.
Interesting facts
- The leopard seal is the second-largest seal in the Antarctic after the southern elephant seal.
- Its spotted coat gives it its name.
- Leopard seals often wait near penguin colonies to ambush birds entering the water.
- Males sing underwater during the breeding season.
- A leopard seal’s jaws can open very wide, and its canine teeth are about 2.5 cm long.
- They are one of the top predators of the Southern Ocean, alongside orcas.
Behaviour
Leopard seals hunt alone. They can be curious towards boats and divers; the photographer Paul Nicklen famously described a female repeatedly bringing him penguins.
Breeding and young
Females give birth to a single pup on the pack ice in the southern summer. Pups are nursed for about a month.
Threats and conservation
Considered secure, but reliant on sea ice and on krill, both of which are affected by climate change.
Where to see it
- Antarctic Peninsula (expedition cruises)
- South Georgia
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
Where to see the leopard seal
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