The appearance of a leopard seal caught the attention of the residents of Mar del Plata. The animal was seen on Thursday at Varese beach, one of the most popular in the spa town. Is called “eat penguins”, since it is the main predator of these birds in Antarctica. On Friday returned to the sea, the day after it appeared.
The specimen that appeared in Mar del Plata is young, male and is approximately one and a half meters long. In addition to consuming penguins, they usually eat fish and krill, crustaceans that inhabit the waters of Antarctica. Females usually weigh more than males, can reach 500 kilos and measure 3.6 meters.
The seal was assisted by the municipality of General Pueyrredón and examined by veterinarians, who detected that it was wounded in one of its fins and took a blood sample to verify its state of health. A day after its appearance, the animal managed to return to the sea.
They have large heads, narrow and elongated snouts, and powerful jaws. They have a long neck and a robust chest, which allow them to balance the body on the front limbs to move while they are out of the water.
They are ferocious penguin hunters, and one of them even killed 28-year-old British biologist Kirsty Brown in 2003 in Antarctica in 2003 while diving. The leopard species is considered the most dangerous of all.
Alejandro Saubidet, Scientific Director of the Aquarium Mar del Plata said that it’s not common that these types of specimens are seen in the area. In dialogue with The capital considered that the leopard seal arrived in the Atlantic city because it was lost. The animal returned to the sea a day after its arrival at the beach.
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