It’s not for nothing that being a photographer for a company like National Geographic would be a dream job for many of us. In this video Paul Nicklen relates his incredible interaction with a massive, grinning, canine-infested leopard seal in Antarctica (find out why Antarctica should be on your bucket list).
I started the video expecting a bit of turmoil, maybe a panicked moment or two, a lucky escape or at least something to put me a little on edge. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed as such, but this is definitely one of those clips that catch my interest without having to go through the motions of adrenaline-fueled sympathy sweats.
Here’s a quick lesson in Youtube use for those of you who aren’t regulars. Always read at least a couple of comments.
E.g. “Anyone else think he was being rude by not eating the penguins? Or at the least offering her some of his own food in return.” This comment is both amusing and potentially a little unintentionally insightful. Sure it was an amazing experience for the photographer, but what about the seal? It’s just a little ironic that we as people watch this video, praise the seal for showing sympathy (or whatever instinctive version of sympathy it was showing) as if it is a trait typical to humans and foreign to animals which kill with their mouths, and ignore the fact that the photographer put the poor beast through four days of what he can only deduce is some form of panic! I’m not enough of an ice-hugger to mean this reproachfully or with any real disapproval – I’m sure the blubbery bather will be just fine – but it is worth pointing out the fact that trying to feed this strange intruder was, at the very least, a waste of the seal’s time and energy. Luckily it doesn’t seem like the seal was having any trouble nabbing penguin after penguin, served up in every state of health from live and kicking to partially disemboweled. Well, luckily for the seal that is.
Read about where you might have the chance to swim with seals a little closer to home, or take a look at what might be the most hardcore seal ever.
