A Weddell seal pup was born
At Rothera research station, we had the delight of witnessing the birth of Weddell seal pups on the sea ice. I was lucky enough to experience this twice across two Antarctic winters in 2021 and 2022. It is absolutely fantastic to watch the Weddell seals grow from a tiny slick, slithery mass to a beautiful, furry pup. There was great excitement on station when the pup was born on 18th September 2022. The placenta of the mother stands in stark contrast against the ice! Most of the station skipped dinner to run outside and observe mother and pup on the sea ice, just outside the dining room. It doesn't get much better than that. Photo from 18th September 2022 -the pup is so small and dark (covered in slimy birth products), it's barely visible. Just a day later on 19th September 2022, kelp gulls are looking for any remains of placenta. 'Keep away from the baby seal' said my internal monologue from behind the camera lens. 20th September 2022 - two day old pup feeding.