Baby Weddell seal, Erebus Bay, Antarctica. The Weddell sea, Leptonychotes weddellii, is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing captain James Weddell to the area of the Southern Ocean now known as the Weddell Sea. The life history of this species is well documented since it occupies fast ice environments close to the Antarctic continent and often adjacent to Antarctic USGS / (NMFS Permit No: 1032-1917.)

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Size: 4928px × 3264px
Location: Antarctica, Erebus Bay
Photo credit: © digitaleye / USGS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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