Quick answer
Key facts about leopard seal — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Penguin ambush
Leopard seals lurk beneath ice edges where penguins enter water, striking with powerful jaws. They shake prey violently — a dramatic and brutal hunting style filmed widely.
Krill-filter feeding
Juvenile and smaller adults also filter krill through interlocking teeth — versatile diet from plankton to large vertebrates.
Solitary apex predator
Solitary except breeding, leopard seals occupy the ice-edge niche alongside killer whales at the top of Antarctic food webs.
Human safety
They have killed divers and researchers — treat as dangerous in water. Head-up posture with open mouth signals threat.