A word from the 2025 Weddell Seal Field Team:

This year may have been anything but typical with significantly reduced sea ice coverage and tricky behind the scene logistics, but one thing was the same – the pups were FAT. The people asked and we delivered with yet another successful Fat Pup Week at McMurdo Station. We scoured the sea ice far and wide, while on the job of course, and found 16 humungous pups worthy of the competition.

With the help of Lyndsey Dixon of McMurdo Lodging, we set out to determine the fattest pup of them all with help from station members and instagram followers. Seals were evaluated on vibes and named appropriately, with inspiration from Erebus Bay and the team’s favorite snacks…of course. We flexed our creative skills and came up with “totally” accurate backstories and descriptions of our contestants favorite pastime activities to really give station members a glimpse into the life of a fat Weddell seal pup on the Erebus Bay sea ice. Once the bracket was finalized, it was time to share the seals with the people and put the chunky honeys to the test! Intense competition ensued daily for approximately a week and after some heated matchups, we found our winner. It was a close competition, decided by just a few votes. Ultimately, the fattest of them all, Ms. Señorita Chunkita of Big Razorback Island is the Winner of Fat Seal Pup Week 2025!

We are so grateful for the opportunity to bring our science home with us and share the seals with the community here at McMurdo and beyond! We continue to be amazed each and every day by how large these pups continue to grow and are so thankful for the short time we get to spend with them. There is no doubt that these pups are ready to take on the world with their thick coat of blubber and hunger for life (and tasty snacks)! We wish these fat pups the best of luck as they embark on their next journey and we hope to see them again in the future!

– The 2025 Erebus Bay, Antarctica Weddell Seal Population Study Field Team