Leopard Seal (Photo: J. MacDonald)
Adélie penguin predators
Hydrurga leptonyx
, are largely solitary animals,
with sinuous, 3 m-long bodies and powerful heads. They are generally found
throughout the Southern Ocean in the pack ice areas of Antarctica, although
younger individuals may wander further afield. Weighing up to 350 kg,
leopard seals are fierce predators of fish, squid, penguins, and the pups
of other species of seal. Their lobed molar teeth are also adapted for
straining krill from the water.
A favoured food is Adélie penguins, which are gripped by the feet
and belly, and vigorously beaten against the water to remove the skin.
They are then dismembered and eaten, with the skin and feathers being
discarded. Leopard seals are often to be found patrolling the shores next
to penguin colonies to catch incoming or outgoing birds. Queues of wary,
agitated penguins are often reluctant to enter the water until they know
the coast is clear. Leopard seals have been known to rise swiftly towards
thin ice, fracturing it and knocking penguins into the water.
Leopard Seal (Photo: J. MacDonald)
Killer Whales
Killer Whales or Orcas are widespread, black and white, toothed whales
with relatively large dorsal fins. Up to 7 m long, they can weigh as much
as 8 tonnes. Found either singly or in groups of up to 30 individuals,
Orcas are common in the Southern Ocean where the population may be as
high as 200 000.
Unlike most toothed whales, such as Sperm Whales and dolphins, which
feed on fish and squid, Orcas prefer warm-blooded prey like penguins,
seals and other smaller cetaceans. Orcas have been seen attacking Fin
and Minke whales larger than themselves, tearing mouthfuls of flesh, especially
the lips and tongue, from their living bodies. Recent research in Antarctica
points to the possibility that discrete pods of Orca that specialize in
hunting one particular prey type, may in fact be different species.
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