The amazing experience of Paul Nicklen and a Leopard Seal

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

I've already spoken about Paul Nicklen on the post entitled The Polar Bear reflection so make reference to that article to have more info about this extraordinary National Geographic Photographer

The first time that I've seen the amazing picture here above depicting what seems an incredibly close-up shot of a Leopard Seal chasing a penguin I was stunned and I thought "How can the photographer be so close to the action?!?". In the following video Paul Nicken tells us the story behind the shot which is quite different from what I previously thought (the penguin is already dead) but this doesn't take out anything of the charme of the picture, on the contrary it probably increases it beacuse Nicken was the protagonist of what was in my opinion one of the most amazing experience a photographer could ever have. First of all, you have to understand that Leopard Seals are huge voracious predators that can be very dangerous for human beings (in 2003 a scientist was killed). Paul Nicklen in this case came face to face with an oversized specimen of almost 4 meters. What happened later is almost incredible: the Leopard Seal, over the course of four days, started to behave in an unexpected way traying to fed penguins to Nicklen's camera (that it thought it was his mouth) and tried to teach him how to catch prey! Take a look at the video and you'll understand what I'm talking about:



A couple of images depicting Paul Nicken during this fabulous experience:


©National Geographic

©National Geographic

Some of the hundreds of fantastic Leopard Seal pictures that Paul Nicklen made for National Geographic (taken from this Gallery):


©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

The following ones can also be downloaded in a bigger size in the wallpaper section of the National Geographic website:


©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

Now you can:

• visit Paul Nicklen's own website
  
• visit Paul Nicklen's page on National Geographic site
• buy his book Polar Obsession
• Take a look at the National Geographic Leopard Seal gallery by Paul Nicklen
• Read a National Geographic article by Kim Heacox about Leopard Seals
  
• View a National Geographic "Deadly Beauty" interactive video
  

Enjoy!