I photographed this Weddell Seal lounging peacefully along the icy shoreline of Eta Island in Antarctica.
During the several weeks I spent sailing around the islands of the Antarctic Peninsula I photographed five different seal species, but I found the Weddell to be the cutest of them all. They always seemed to wear a smile on their beautifully whiskered faces. They wear attractive splotchy coats over charmingly round bodies and they enjoy lounging on shorelines, unlike the other species which I usually observed on floating chunks of ice.
Check out this adorable face. What’s not to love?
Hal Brindley
Brindley is an American conservation biologist, wildlife photographer, filmmaker, writer, and illustrator living in Asheville, NC. He studied black-footed cats in Namibia for his master’s research, has traveled to all seven continents, and loves native plant gardening. See more of his work at Travel for Wildlife, Truly Wild, Our Wild Yard, & Naturalist Studio.