Penguins are not the only wildlife to be seen through the year.
When we go out onto the sea ice which is now a metre or so thick we encounter the main inhabitants
of the world here - Weddell seals.
Often you can see the holes they keep open in the sea ice to breathe and for access between the
surface and the sea below. If you are lucky you can catch one checking out what is happening
above before coming out.
When they do come out they are not al all afraid of humans. Fortunately they are also not likely
to attack or attempt to eat humans. (Later in the year when the ice starts to break up and the
penguins can enter the water in tha bay Leopard Seals come close to shore. They ARE a potential
hazard!) Quite often seals will pose quite fetchingly for a camera.
But sometimes they just want to sleep the day away.
It should be noted that the breath of a seal (and indeed any animal whose sole diet is
raw fish) cannot be described as sweet. Halitosis is definitely the name of the game!
