Mist shrouded our arrival at Coronation Island this evening. Part of the South Orkney Island chain, Coronation was a new destination for many of the staff and crew on board, the majority of us having never visited during previous voyages. Our plans upon arrival were unspecified, and for good reason: weather and wildlife will always dictate our operations in the Southern Ocean. Coronation Island has a lot of both!
As the dive team on board we are at the mercy of the same two factors when it comes to our operation and tonight was no exception. Watching the wind and swell, plus the abundance of wildlife porpoising through the water, it wasn’t necessarily a case of can we dive, but where should we dive? There were so many fur seals and chinstrap penguins around that any site was likely to provide good wildlife encounters. However, the wind and swell was the deciding factor and to try and escape the worst of it we tucked around a rocky promontory.
With the majority of staff on board having never visited Coronation, and with no dive reports for the area, we didn’t know what we would find at our sheltered site. What we could see were the numerous fur seals. With a reputation for being playful and cheeky, we were hoping for an exciting encounter. We were not disappointed. These boisterous juvenile seals seemed enthused by our arrival and repeatedly swam up, down, and around us. Gathering more confidence and agility as they continued to approach, we were enthralled as we observed them. These animals seem rather uncomfortable and ungainly on land, yet instantaneously become gymnasts underwater.
Captivated by the show these bold seals were putting on for us, it was completely unbeknown to us that a large leopard seal had been gliding around behind us and most likely observing our every move. To be face to face with a seal much larger than yourself; to be 100% in their environment and 100% out of yours and to have only your dive buddy by your side and a camera out in front of you—finding a leopard seal can be somewhat of a terrifying surprise.
But with the fear comes the thrill and as soon as we had eyes on this magnificent and powerful creature we knew it was as curious about us as we were about it. Yes it can be scary. These animals are huge. They are strong. They are top predators in the Southern Ocean. But as divers covered in gear and blowing bubbles we are also foreign and unknown to the seal. Its movements were never territorial or aggressive, just inquisitive and cautious. Laying low on the rocks we just watched and observed, trying to let the seal know we were only curious ourselves—we had no interest in eating the chinstrap penguins that this seal had come to Coronation Island to hunt.
Being face to face with a massive leopard seal and having fur seals whirl and twirl their way around you makes you realise how cumbersome and out of place you are as a diver down here in the Southern Ocean. Encountering these animals underwater, in their natural environment and in their element, is nothing short of fascinating. While we struggle to get in and out of the water with all our gear, these animals glide around with ease. The wind and the swell doesn’t prove much of a problem to them.
