Can you believe this elephant seal photobombed me? I was watching this King preen itself over and over for a few minutes and particularly liked how it had its neck and head angled, with its beak flush to its body. So I snapped away, casually glanced at my screen in the bright sun, confirming I got it and walked away. It wasn’t until later that night when I was looking through my photos from the day, back on the ship, when I noticed the photobombing elephant seal. She just wanted to wave and say “Hi there, the Kings aren’t the only things here you can photograph you know?" St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands GPS Coordinates: 54°26'11.099" S 36°11'17.682" W
This adorable puffball wandered right up to me, not more than a 2-3 feet from where I was standing. It just sat there, all still, looking up at me inquisitively, its tiny eyes revealing so much of its character and how interested it was in figuring me out. I had my camera on my tripod, complete with the usual setup and big lens, so maybe it thought it was another penguin like itself, only larger? But with some odd creature behind in dressed in a bright red coat? A few of the others on this expedition to South Georgia were fortunate enough to have these cuties peck and nibble at their water/wind proof winter pants. While all his/her buddies were running around all crazily, like kids on a playground, it did not move an inch from where I was. I’d like to think we were both fascinated with each other. Salisbury Plain, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands GPS Coordinates: 54°3'39.137" S 37°19'31.361" W
Only a face a mother could love. This “adorable” full grown male elephant seal, was basking in the sun, laying on its back, fast asleep, snoring deep zzzzzzzzz. These suckers can grow up to 20 ft and come in close to 9,000 pounds. You can see the bloodied gnash marks all along the side of its head, which are from the fights with other males, fighting over territory and female seals. Every time it let out air, its proboscis, the bulbous nose with a sack-like appendage, would flutter back and forth. It was like one of those Disney or Warner Bros. cartoons from back in the day, when the cartoon character would be sleeping on their backs and their lips or nose would flutter and expand in an overly exaggerated way. Only on males, this proboscis and the more folds it has, allows for it to amplify snorts, grunts and loud, drum-like bellows that can be heard miles away. When you are standing 15-20 feet away and a male starts grunting, you feel it rattling your soul. St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands GPS Coordinates: 54°26'9.96" S 36°11'16.817" W
