BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-08)

August 2020

LIZZIEDALYisa wildlifebiologistandpresenter.

ShetravelledtoAntarcticawithG Adventures.

ShetalksaboutleopardsealsonherYouTube

channel– searchfor#EarthLIVELessons.

Inourseriesaboutpeoplewithapassionforaspecies,weaskwildlife

biologistandpresenterLizzieDalywhyshelovestheleopardseal.

LIZZIE DALY

Whyareyouchampioning

theleopardseal?

Theyhavea reputationasone

ofAntarctica’smostformidable

creatures,butthereis stillsomuch

wedon’tknowaboutthesesolitary

animals.Gettingtheopportunity

tospendsometimewithmultiple

leopardsealsintheirnatural

environment– inFebruary2020,

withGAdventures– wasa lifelong

dreamcometrue.I sawthemhunt,

hauloutonicebergs,interactwith

otherleopardseals,ambushgentoo

penguins...andpunctureourZodiac!

Whatdoweknowabout

leopardseals?

Theyplayanimportantroleinthe

ecosystemandareopportunistic

feeders:theirdietincludes

cephalopods,penguins,sealsand

krill.Aswellassharpcaninesand

incisors,thespecieshastricuspid

molarsthatinterlocktoprovidean

efficientsievetofilterkrill,which

makesupthemajorityoftheirdiet,

especiallyduringthewintermonths.

Thethirdlargestsealintheworld–

femalesarethelargerofthe

twosexes,sometimes

growingupto

aroundthecornerofaniceberg,a long,

slenderbodywitha reptilianhead and

oar-likef lippersappeared.Though the

leopardsealknewwewerethere,it

proceededtogobacktosleeponthe ice

• thatwasmyfavouritemoment.

Whyisitcalledaleopardseal?

Despiteitsscientificname,Hydrurga

leptonyx, whichtranslatesas‘slender-

clawedwaterworker’,theleopard seal

hasearneditscommonnamedue to

thespotty,mottledappearanceofits

furcoat.Eachleopardsealhasitsown

uniquepattern,whichhelpsscientists

identifyandlearnmoreaboutcertain

individuals.Whenhuntingpenguins

andfursealpups,leopardsealsare

ambushpredators.Justlikebigcats,

theyareexcellentatquietlystalking

theirprey,hidingbehindicebergsand

f loatingicebeforetheyattack.Once

theyhavesuccessfullycaughttheir

warm-bloodedvictims,leopardseals

oftentoywiththemandthenusetheir

powerfulteethtobreakthemapart.

Interestingly,duringthetrip,wesaw

oneleopardsealkillingpenguinsbut

noteatingthem,optingtostashthem

ina quietharbourinstead.

WILDLIFECHAMPION

VIEWPOINT

3m in length – has

a large head, which

is unusual for

pinnipeds, and

powerful front

f lippers that help

to propel it through

the water, making it

uncharacteristically

agile compared to othertrue

seals. Despite livingina hostile

environment, the specieshasa

long life expectancybecause

it has only onepredator

• the orca.If it avoids
  predation,a leopard
  seal can liveupto 26
  years old.

Tell us aboutyour

first encounter

Duringourfirst

Zodiaclanding,

oneofthe

expedition

leaderstoldme

tomovequickly,

as shehadspotted

a leopardsealand

knew how excitedI was

to see one. Weleaptintothe

inf latable boat and,aswedrifted

Theexpertview

Leopardseals,alongwithseabirds,

whalesandotherseals,dependon

krill,yetkrillstocksaredownby 80

percent.Thelossofkrillisthought

tobeduetothereductionofsea-iceothe

WesternAntarcticPeninsula– whichhasbeen

causedbyclimatewarming.Krillliveinthesea-

iceasa nursery,aswellasprotectionoverthe

harshAntarcticwinter.

TraceyRogersisa ProfessorattheEvolution&

EcologyResearchCentre,UNSW,Australia.

Theyare

excellentat

stalkingprey,

hidingbehind

icebergsbefore

theyattack.

S

T

Portrait: Lizzie Daly with G Adventures; leopard seal: Lizzie Daly

Interview by Jo Price