Teeth exposure - Paul Nicklen - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2007

2007: Underwater Worlds - Runner-up

Paul Nicklen Enlarge image Teeth exposure

Paul Nicklen (Canada)

Teeth exposure

'I wanted to see if leopard seals were savage beasts or simply curious and misunderstood. I dived with them more than 50 times at Anvers Island off the Antarctic Peninsula, and they almost always approached in the same way, opening their mouths inches from my face. After they established their dominance, they seemed to relax.' Leopard seals are one of the largest seals in Antarctica, with a reputation for being aggressive. They are the only seals that regularly eat warm-blooded prey such as birds and other seals. They have punctured inflatable boats and even followed people onto the ice. But like all predators, they are usually judged by the worst stories. Leopard seals are inquisitive and solitary.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II + 17-40mm f4 lens; 1/30 sec at f11; Ikelite 125 digital strobes.