Tim writes: the Weddell Seal was named after a seal hunter called James Weddell (1787-1834), who also had the Weddell Sea named after him. These Seals have the distinction of occurring further south on the planet than any other mammal. That’s because they usually live on permanent ice that is attached to land, using holes in the ice for access and breathing. Whereas the other Antarctic seals tend to live on free-floating pack ice, although these Weddell Seals have rather spoiled the pattern by resting on floating pack ice in the Weddell Sea. The plainer seal at the back of the distant shot is actually a Crabeater Seal.
