#2 Leopard Seal

You do not want to go swimming with the leopard seal because it is the top predator in its natural habitat in Antarctica. It will hunt humans but prefers to target penguins. It is fearless, strong, and intelligent.

Leopard seals tried to drag Scottish explorer Gareth Wood off the ice and into the water in 1985, and they killed researcher Kirsty Brown in Antarctica in 2003 by dragging her underwater while she was snorkeling.

In order to capture leopard seals in the wild, National Geographic photojournalist Paul Nicklen plunged into Antarctic waters in 2006. He later remarked that his experience was something he would never forget.

Nicklen penguins, both dead and wounded, were brought to him by a sympathetic female leopard seal for several days in order to feed him and train him how to eat himself. The tale and the images Nicklen captured of the event rank among the most well-known in the leopard seal species’ recent history.