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Animal profile

Weddell Seal

Leptonychotes weddellii

MammaliaFast ice fringing the Antarctic continent and nearby islandsLeast Concern

Field profile

The Weddell seal lives on the landfast ice ringing Antarctica, further south than any other breeding mammal. It maintains breathing holes in thick ice and dives beneath it for fish and squid. Its accessibility on stable ice has made it one of the most intensively studied diving mammals.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-02-11

Weddell Seal

Weddell seals saw breathing holes open with their teeth

To stay under fast ice through the Antarctic winter, a Weddell seal reams and rasps at the ice around its breathing hole with its canines and incisors. The habit wears the teeth down and, in older animals, can shorten their lives.

Read with evidence →

Weddell Seal | Daily Animal Facts