Special Report From PhD Student and Field Team Leader Parker Levinson:

As the season wraps up, we each went through our photos and videos and chose one of our favorites from the past couple of months. It’s a nice way to reflect on the season and remember everything we accomplished.

One special thing about this job is we frequently get to watch the seals do normal seal things. In so many other wildlife jobs, you may never even get to see the species you are studying, but that’s not the case with this job. Because Weddell seals have no land predators and are quite tolerant of humans, we get to watch them behave unbothered. It’s fitting that our favorite photos from the season capture that: unique moments showcasing different seal behaviors which we were fortunate enough to witness. 

Brynn Miller – My favorite photo from this season is of this mom and pup pair from Little Razorback island. This pup was very spunky and came right up to me to say hello, and I could immediately tell she had good music taste by the little mohawk she retained from the molting process. I have absolutely loved getting to see all the different personalities of the seals we see day to day. It is always such a joy to be around them and to have the opportunity to work in such an incredible and dynamic environment.

Thomas Hull – One of my favorite things about working with the Weddell seals has been hearing the wide array of sounds they make, from the grunts and yells of the pups to the spaceship-like noises of the adults. This video is cool because it showcases many of them, including some of the more comical ones. I also love how it puts the size of the seal colonies into perspective, with moms and pups as far as the eye can see. I will definitely miss that view!

Natalie Storm – My favorite photo from this season is of this mom and pup pair at turtle rock. Mom peacefully watched us as we chowed down on ramen (our go-to field lunch), while her pup took a nice long nap pressed against her belly. I love this picture because it is a POV from our lunch spot and emphasizes how lucky we are to be able to work closely and coexist around these amazing animals. 

Collette Webb –  My favorite video is of this pup from Turtle Rock wiggling to scratch their back because they are starting to molt. Seeing the pups grow into their big kid coats as they molted was one of my favorite parts of working with them this season. They became, for lack of a better term, very derpy during this phase, and it was entertaining to see how they were navigating all the changes of becoming independent. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to witness this progression and spend so much time with these adorable and goofy creatures. 

Nate Jourdonnaise – This is my favorite photo from the 2025 field season because of the unique perspective that it provides. We spend very little to no time, being able to observe the Weddell seals underwater. This photo of a Weddell seal pup coming up into an ice hole, illustrates the curiosity of the pups while exploring a new underwater world.

Parker Levinson – Pups have to grow into their flippers just like a puppy has to grow into its paws. I absolutely love when pups itch their face with their oversized flippers, like the pup is doing in this photo. But why I really like this photo is it shows the strong connection between mom and pup. Even when mom is snoozing, she’s paying attention to where her pup is and what her pup is doing. 

While we’re looking forward to having access to fresh vegetables and seeing trees again, we will miss watching the pups grow up and interact with their environment.

– Parker Levinson, PhD Student and Field Team Leader Extraordinaire