Co-founder of Waterproof Expeditions, Göran Ehlme, has been working with Leopard Seals for the last 10 years, returning to Antarctica each austral summer to dive with or film these incredible animals. Over the past few years, the Leopard Seal has risen from relative obscurity, to being one of the most recognized animals in the world, thanks to publications such as National Geographic and movies such as Eight Below. Equally, this publicity has created a certain aura around the animal, and despite very little research being done on the species, it has become one of the most feared and coveted animals in Antarctica. Through Görans experiences, he has developed a kind of love affair with the Leopard Seal, and we would like to share some of his trysts. We hope that by reading his personal anecdotes, you too will begin to see what an impressive creature the Leopard Seal really is.

But before we continue, first and foremost it is important to remember that the Leopard Seal is a wild animal. They are governed by the rules of survival in one of the most inhospitable environments in the world, and not bound by the congenial behaviours of man. No one should ever take being with a wild animal for granted. Like any other creature, the Leopard Seal has unpredictable behaviours.

For instance, just moments after you enter the water, a Leopard Seal may swim straight at you, opening its jaws. All instincts tell us that this is an aggressive behavior, creating a sense of fear and shock in ourselves. Fortunately, despite the immediate feeling of being attacked, this is usually not the case.
However, it does take a certain amount of time with the Leopard Seal to understand their body language; look at its movements: does it swim with an impression of grace and calmness, or is it bellowing and making jerky motions? Just like Sea Lions, Leopard Seals are intelligent and curious animals who crave interaction, but perhaps if a Sea Lion had a mouth of teeth like that, we wouldn’t think they were so cute.

Each seal is different, and the key is to stay sharp while you are in their presence, still allowing yourself to enjoy their grace and power, yet aware of strange or skittish behaviours.

The first divers to encounter a Lep face to face were Doug Allan and Peter Scones, while shooting a sequence for “Life in the Freezer.” For those of us who have seen the production, it is an unforgettable progression of events as the Leopard Seal is at first simply swimming in the frame, and by the end presenting a penguin to Doug. You can almost feel the anticipation as this 12 foot female swims up and pushes (albeit gently) the penguin to the camera.

Just before the first time I got in the water with Leopard Seals, I asked Doug if he thought I would have any problems. He said he didn’t think so, but take a ski pole just in case. Within the first minute of entering the water I had a HUGE female open her jaws and place her jagged teeth just centimeters from my face. I must admit I was extremely uncomfortable and I took off like a shot out of the water. Many years and many seals have passed since that day, and I now find myself feeling an immense sense of peace and happiness while diving with Leopard Seals.

Several years ago there was a tragic loss of life caused by a Leopard Seal - the only death on record - which sent shock waves through the entire Antarctic community, from national programs to tourist organizations.
A lot of thought and investigation has gone into this attack, and new safety policies have been created in order to avoid senseless accidents such as this in the future.

I have thought quite a bit to myself as to why this happened. Why would an intelligent animal such as the Leopard Seal attack a human, something that it has never done before? In doing so it took a huge risk unto itself, as the seal would have no idea how strong a human is and what kind of harms way it was putting itself into. My only conclusion is that this was an animal who was cut off from its food source by the pack ice, starving, and any starving animal can be a dangerous animal.

If you are interested to read more about the survey that was done after this accident. You can download the report 'Interactions between Humans and Leopard Seals' The report was sponsored by the Kirstie Brown Foundation and hosted by the British Antarctic Survey.

While filming BBC’s Blue Planet, Martha Holmes, Doug Allan, and I were in the Ross Sea, attempting to gather Emperor Penguin footage. We would sit at the pack ice edge where the Emperor Penguins came and went from the colony. Hundreds of birds would gather on the there, until one, and then another, and then the rest would hurl themselves into the sea, right over the hidden, yet still awaiting jaws of the Leopard Seal. The Leopard Seal’s tactic is to sit just under the ice edge, concealed and waiting. Its senses are triggered by the sound of crunching ice or footsteps above, at which point is ready to charge at full power grabbing whatever is on the ice edge. It is in hunting ecstasy, a bit like the Great White feeding frenzy, so the seal cannot always distinguish what is really an Emperor Penguin or what isn’t.

For the first few days, our film crew was charged several times, which of course can be quite dangerous because once caught you could be dragged under the ice. However, the Leopard Seals did learn to distinguish our footsteps and shadows, but just the same, when approaching a new ice edge, always be wary until given the all clear by your guide.

Most of my encounters have happened during the summer months of Antarctica, when the sea is ripe with krill and the penguin colonies are full of birds, creating an abundance of food for the Leopard Seal. Each seal I have dived with has had a separate personality, some are shy, some are gentle, some are tough, and some are sweet.

One summer I had a “private” seal I named Yellowbelly. She was a large animal that loved to keep me company while I was filming other seals. She would often tickle my neck with her whiskers (as you might imagine this was a little disconcerting at first), and follow me down on dives, even to 20 or 30 meters. While at the surface in my boat, she would actually sleep next to the hull, her ventilations echoing throughout the night.

I am not sure when it was, but she started to kill penguins for me 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 a day, surrounding me with their poor carcasses, but thankfully she eventually lost interest and continued only being an observer. During our “relationship” I never touched her, and her only touch to me was with her whiskers; “Our love was beyond physical contact,” I used to write my girlfriend back home. Although I have had other seals trying to “feed” me, I have never seen Yellowbelly again.

Over the years I have been very fortunate to have so many spectacular encounters with the Leopard Seal, and the knowledge I pass on to you is only from days and hours of hands-on experience. While there is still much speculation about the animal, I personally truly feel that the Leopard Seal is one of the most beautiful and fascinating animals in our oceans.

Göran Ehlme