In fact on closer inspection, the leopard seal appeared to be suffering with a frothy white discharge from the mouth and nose, possibly symptomatic of an avian influenza virus infection in which penguins are likely to be the primary source of transmission!

At another location called Cierva Cove, along the Antarctic Peninsula, the tables were reversed where leopard seals can have the edge when penguins are in water. On this occasion, a gentoo was caught by a seal whilst lurking behind ice floating off a nearby chinstrap penguin colony.  Although penguins make up a very small portion of the average leopard seals diet, the seal has a particularly gruesome technique of removing the skin and feathers before consuming. After a period of ‘playful’ drowning of the bird, the teeth with surgical precision appears to snip and hold the skin and through violent repeated shakes back and forth the penguin is pummelled to death on the water surface. Finally, the seal flings the corpse high into the air ripping the skin off the body ready for eating!