Adult female leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) hauled out on ice at Brown Bluff near the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, Polar Regions

leopard seal hydrurga leptonyx antarctic brown bluff ice floe marine mammal polar region wildlife seal resting cold habitat antarctic peninsula icebergs ocean nature fauna animal behavior natural environment ice field coastline cliffs indigenous species aquatic mammal antarctic ecosystem survival wildlife conservation cold weather predator feeding habits marine ecology ice shelf sub antarctic animal habitat animal observation climate biodiversity ecological balance sea ice marine life isolation tundra sea mammals tracking behavior natural habitat animal resting glacier polar ice