Weddell seal
| Weddell seal | |
|---|---|
| At the D'Hainaut Island, Mikkelsen Harbour, Trinity Island | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Parvorder: | Pinnipedia |
| Family: | Phocidae |
| Genus: | Leptonychotes Gill, 1872 |
| Species: | L. weddellii |
| Binomial name | |
| Leptonychotes weddellii (Lesson, 1826) | |
| Weddell seal range
Water
Ice
Range | |
The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing captain James Weddell to the area of the Southern Ocean now known as the Weddell Sea. The life history of this species is well documented since it occupies fast ice environments close to the Antarctic continent and often adjacent to Antarctic bases. It is the only species in the genus Leptonychotes.