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Crabeater seals mostly eat krill, not crabs. People here generally call them crabbies. Or Lobodon carcinophaga. In November and December, crabeater seals were around in modest numbers. Typically lying on cakes of ice. It was a crabeater lying on ice that we saw being menaced by orcas.   Sometimes they'd be on bits of ice…

Tons of seals here. When I arrived in late November, the seals around were mostly (southern) elephant seals and crabeater seals. Recently fur seals and Weddell seals have shown up. All along there has been the occasional leopard seal loner. Big brown elephant seal, small spotted Weddell seal. All the seals enjoy getting out of…

Grownup Adélie penguins look sharp. A young Adélie is covered with uniform dark-gray fuzz the color of an average rock. It is also shaped like an average rock. When it's tiny it is under its mother's or father's warm pouched-out stomach. When you first see them it's as if the parent was sitting on one…

When I got to Palmer Station in late November, the sheathbills were rushing around in mated pairs. They did everything together, foraging, resting, hopping, tweaking elephant seal tails. Often, they would break into a ritual we-are-partners display. Sometimes they'd mate. P1020318 from Susan McCarthy on Vimeo.   They seemed to delight in each other's company.…

In The Nature of the Beast I describe and interpret aspects of animal behavior that interest me. Sometimes that includes human behavior. I usually try to be funny. Not that you can tell by this page. For some reason I’m in a grave mood. When I find out who’s to blame, action will be taken,…