Videos

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen says “I always wanted to go down to Antarctica and get into the water with as many leopard seals as I could.” In the amazing viral video below, he almost got more than he bargained for when a massive leopard seal took both his camera and his head into its mouth.

As Nicklen explains in a 2006 article in National Geographic, he knew something special was about to happen when his experienced guide said “Bloody hell, that’s the biggest leopard seal I’ve ever seen."

Surprisingly, rather than attacking Nicklen, the female seal began to “nurture” him by bringing him food. She started with live penguins, then dead ones after realizing he was a “useless predator.”

Watch the video and then check out some more of Nicklen’s fantastic images.