Rare Ross seal photographed underwater during Antarctic expedition

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Wildlife photographer Justin Hofman may have captured the first-ever underwater photos of a Ross seal, which he recently shared on Instagram.

Hofman explained that Ross seals are elusive creatures, living deep within the icy waters of Antarctica. Because they’re rarely seen, scientists don’t know much about how they live. In his 15 years working in Antarctica, Hofman has only spotted these seals twice, and this was his second sighting.

Hofman realized a few years ago that there were probably no underwater photos of Ross seals. However, he wasn’t initially focused on trying to get some, as these animals are rarely seen and live in very remote, southern waters.

Photos captured during record southern Antarctic voyage

During a recent expedition to Antarctica with National Geographic Resolution and Lindblad Expeditions – a trip that reached further south than any previous voyage – stunning images were captured. Ayla Townsend also managed to film some of the very rare underwater footage of a Ross seal during the expedition, according to Hofman.

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A post shared by Justin Hofman (@justinhofman)

Ross seals, or Ommatophoca rossii, are a type of true seal that lives only in the icy waters around Antarctica. They’re the smallest and rarest of all Antarctic seals, and unique enough to be in a genus all their own. Because they live in dense, thick sea ice and aren’t very numerous, they’re difficult to spot and study.

Seals are easily recognized by their big eyes, small noses, and unique sounds, including complicated calls they make underwater. They mostly eat squid and fish. Scientists estimate around 130,000 seals exist, but getting an exact count is difficult because they live in remote areas.

As a huge Ross seal fan, I was so excited to see these new photos! It’s rare to get any good pictures of these seals, and even rarer to see them underwater. These really add to what little we know about what they’re like down there!

Scientists recently discovered a new species of fish and playfully named it after the Super Saiyan transformation from the anime series Dragon Ball Z, back in November.

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2026-01-01 22:20