Tim writes: this is a young Antarctic Fur Seal on a beach on South Georgia where about 95% of the global population breeds. Usually they are with lots of other Fur Seals, and penguins too, but I managed to photograph this one all by itself. Its scientific name Arctocephalus gazella translates as “bear head” while gazella is after the German naval vessel that collected the first specimens in 1874, from the Kerguelan Islands. Males are much bigger than females and fight to maintain a harem. The strain of competing for and maintaining a harem takes its toll and males have a shorter life expectancy.
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