Leopard Seal lands on Scarborough Beach

A leopard seal landed on our local beach yesterday, at South Scarborough in WA. It was time for a good sleep, it seemed.

Our jaws dropped when a big yawn and stretch revealed its huge jaw and ferocious teeth. A less cuddly kind of seal. Akin to a seal that might be scripted into Jurassic Park. So while it was clear this one was not on the attack, we kept a respectful distance.

Wikipedia will tell you the leopard seal (aka sea leopard) is ‘a long and muscular seal native to the Southern Ocean of Antarctica and southern Patagonia’. This visitor’s come a long way. And while not unheard of, it is rare they come round this parts. It’s certainly the first time I’ve ever seen one. Any wonder it was tired.

This also from Wiki:

The leopard seal is an apex predator, with massive jaws, and teeth which are 2.5 cm (1 in) long. It feeds on a wide range of prey including its fellow pinnipeds, cephalopods, krill, fish, and birds, particularly penguins. Its only natural predator is the orca. It uses its hearing and whiskers to track prey underwater.

Orca v Sea Leopard. The mind boggles.

I didn’t have my camera on me when this leopard seal stretched and yawned, and by the time I was done with my swim and got back to it with phone in hand, it was well and truly asleep. You can see here it’s got the sleepy twitches going on.

It seemed relaxed. We hoped it was ok. The local City inspector reported its presence up the chain. Presumably to the state Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. (In some ways, a weird name for a department, but in other ways, I like it. That biodiversity and conservation be considered synonymous with attractions. Anyway, this biodiversity was attractive.)

On my first approach, it opened its right eye, the one facing me. Then sleepily rolled it closed again. I kept a little distance and quiet, and it occasionally repeated the glance. It was a cuddly looking eye. The sort that makes you want to approach and pat its giant dog-like head. I hadn’t seen its giant dog-like mouth stretch open yet.

We went back later that night. The City staff had roped and later sign-posted the surrounding area. And it’s a quiet area to begin with, so hopefully good sleep was had, and this leopard seal was well ready to head back south.