Bearded Seal by Matt B-L

Monday, 16th July 2007

Bearded Seal

by Matt B-L

This bearded seal was resting on an ice floe near a glacier in the west of Svalbard - a rugged and untamed wilderness, high in the Arctic circle. In this environment, the ecosystem is based almost entirely upon the ocean, and seals form a huge part of the biomass, playing a far greater ecological role than whales, dolphins, polar bears or any other mammal.
Even though seals are numerous and play such a large role in the Arctic ecosystem, they are often much harder to spot than in the Antarctic, because they have adapted to avoid predation by polar bears. Even so, I managed to get close enough to achieve this portrait, showing the bearded seal’s characteristic long and curly whiskers.

Equipment: Canon Eos 1D MKII N, 600mm lens, 1/500 sec at f/7.1, ISO 160

Matt B-L

I am 17 and started photography a few years ago. I especially like nature, wildlife and macro photography.

Svalbard Photographs

13 Comments

James E Siddelley Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 1:01 am
Mat - you should aim to study Geology at University. Not only will this completely change your view of the Earth as a whole and in local details also - everywhere - but it will give you a really good reason to take more excellent pictures, not just of animate subjects, but of the inanimate, physical environment which dictates the actual possibilities for and the
entire feasibility of life.

Keep clicking!
kml Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 1:50 am
What a great macro shot - love the expression on his face! Thanks for sharing and taking the time to tell us about him.
robert matycz Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 6:22 am
superfoto,good luck-bob.
lynn Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 7:20 am
what year did you take this great photo?
Anurag Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 8:26 am
great expression and framing, It really brings a lot of character to the seal.
Eli Shams Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Funny shot
Rushdie Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Good description Matt, but ommited that the reader wonders, is: What is a 17 year old doing in a rugged, untamed wilderness high in the Artic Circle?
Matt Burrard-Lucas Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
I just recently returned from a trip to Svalbard - it’s a beautifully photogenic place.
Renee Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
So Cute!
Pauline Jones Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Matt keep taking photographs; you have loads of potential.
Paul Indigo Says:
July 17th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Great shot and thanks for the excellent and informative note.
Joshua Says:
July 17th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Excellent pose this seal has got into. The seal really shows emotion in this photo. A touch of white makes this seal all the more gorgeous. God’s creation is always incredible. Great photo. Well done!
Jon Eisenberg Says:
July 18th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Great portrait Matt, well captured!