Elephant Seals--a whole gaggle of weaners in late afternoon light, with a couple of big males thrown in for good measure!

Elephant seals--two "weaners," which are baby elephant seals that have been weaned and then more or less abandoned by their mothers. One of the cutest animals in the world--look at their huge eyes. Love the pink mouth. How can an animal so cute grow up to be so spectacularly ugly? edit

Elephant Seal--A mother roars to protect her just-born baby on South Georgia Island. This is the same baby that's being born in the previous photo!

Elephant seal--Giving birth. An extremely dramatic moment, as I sat beside a harem of elephant seals on the pebbled beach of South Georgia Island!

Elephant seal--a young bull bellows a threat at a picturesque place, with mountains in the background. This is at Haakon Bay, near Pegotty Bluff, where Shackleton first landed after his historic 800-mile open boat journey across the Southern Ocean.

Beachmaster--An old bull elephant seal, nose shredded and scarred from battles with other males, bellows a defiant threat to all would-be challengers on his beach