Hydrurga leptonyx

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The leopard seal is a big and very muscular seal. He has a dark back and a lighter belly. On its throat he has black dots, which have given him its name. The leopard seal is an excellent swimmer. He is very fast and extremely movable.

Leopard seals live a solitary life and only come together during mating season. After a pregnancy of nine months the female gives birth on the ice to one pub. She nourishes her pub until it can take care for itself.

Under water the leopard seal looks quite frightening. With its huge head with sharp theeth he almost looks prehistorically.

As the Aleksey Maryshev sails from Ushuaia (Argentina), the southernmost city of our world, towards the Antarctica, I recall images I’ve seen and stories I’ve heard about the Drake Passage, famed for its roughest seas on Earth.

The Antarctic continent is the last continent many people would think of when planning a dive trip. Its cold harsh conditions don’t sound too appealing for the average holiday diver. For other divers going to Antarctica is a dream come true. The dive sites are almost unexplored. There is a lot that you could possibly see during a trip to this coldest continent. Penguins, ice bergs, fur seals, leopard seals, ice fishes are just waiting for you. We had the opportunity to visit this incredible part of the world. What we experienced this trip was more than we ever could have imagined.

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