Other than as a prized angling target, Atlantic blue marlin have few natural predators. Canadian photographer Paul Nicklen captured images of a leopard seal interacting playfully with him, even presenting him with dead penguins. Although isolated cases of leopard seals acting aggressively towards humans and even occasionally attacking them have been documented, they are also naturally inquisitive. The seal beats the penguin against the surface of the water until it dies, whereupon the seal tears the bird into smaller pieces by shaking it in its teeth from side to side. They typically lie in wait at the edges of the ice shelf, from where they seize the birds as they enter the ocean. These seals employ a particularly violent method of hunting penguins. A leopard seal’s canines are approximately 1 inch long, making them its most fearsome weapon. They have a diverse diet - while they prey mostly on penguins and other seals, their teeth are uniquely adapted to sieve krill from the water as well as tear flesh. They are second only to orcas, their only real predator, on the Antarctic food chain. Leopard seals can reach up to 12 feet long and weigh 1,300 pounds. Their range includes Antarctica itself, as well as most sub-Antarctic islands and southern areas of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. The leopard seal is one of Antarctica’s most deadly marine predators.
Bites are rarely felt at the time, but if the snake releases its venom, consequences can include paralysis, headaches, vomiting and stiffness, as well as acute renal failure, suffocation and cardiac arrest due to the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. Sea snakes seem to be able to choose whether or not to release their venom, as there are accounts of humans being bitten but not injected. They feed mostly on small fish and juvenile octopus. They are typically non-aggressive and cannot easily bite a person because of their small mouth. In addition, their lungs are much larger than those of land-dwelling snakes, which scientists think helps control their buoyancy.Īlthough sea snakes are among the most venomous creatures in the world, they rarely pose a threat to humans. Although their ancestors once lived on land, sea snakes are now fully adapted to life in the ocean most have paddle-like tails for swimming and nostrils with valves to prevent the inhalation of water. Found in tropical, coastal waters throughout the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, sea snakes can grow to between four and 10 feet long. The sea snake family includes species with the most potent venom of all the world’s snakes. Almost without exception, humanity poses the only real threat to each of these creatures, rather than the other way around. We have judged them here in their capacity as apex predators rather than for their reputation for aggressiveness towards humans. Deadly marine predators come in many forms, from reef fish to sharks, from reptiles to mammals.
But evolution has adapted some marine animals so perfectly to their environment that they’ve become the ultimate predators. It’s a constant struggle each day to both find food and avoid becoming food for something further up the food chain. For many marine animals, life in the ocean is harsh.