Grey Seal rapes a Harbour seal

[Andreas Liedmann]

Photographed this Grey seal trying to rape a really small Harbour seal at Donna Nook (England).This action was lasting for at least one hour.The bull defended his victim? against photographers and other seals.The Harbour seal was trying to escape all the time but never really had a chance too get rid of this really big guy.It was really impressive and sad to witness this behavior.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
EF 800 IS L
Tripod + Videohead
f 8 / 1/500 sec / ISO 1600
75% of FF

Processed in Canon DPP + PS CS5 NR,levels,curves,LCE+sharpening

Hope you like it C&C most welcome

Cheers Andreas

[Harshad Barve]

Awesome image indeed
TFS

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Andreas, ISO1600, sounds like Donna Nook, rather windswept, cold and quite often poor light too.

I think you did well under the circumstances and these guys are big lumbering beasts, that mean business. I quite like the 'embrace', low angle and warm tones in the image, but would have liked a little more room to the LHS.

A location where you are not dogging the unexploded bombs dropped by the RAF during their training exercises, but the mad, thoughtless individuals who get between mum & pup with a wide angle lens and have no respect for their subject, nice to see you used a long lenses to give your subject respect here Andreas.

TFS
Steve

[Ken Watkins]

Andreas,

An interesting subject matter, very well handled. Is this behaviour abnormal?

[Andreas Liedmann]

Ken
i do not really know.i spent in total 14 days in two trips at this place.i saw this behavior just one time.

i think we can ask the guys who go more often to Donna Nook or other places where you can see these seals.

so has anybody else seen this behavior before ??

cheers andreas

[Robert Amoruso]

Nicely captured behavior image. Well framed, exposed and sharp in all the right places.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Andreas, good low angle, and I do like the detail and colours of the seals. Certainly sharp, and agree with Steve to add a little more space on the left.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks folks for all your comments,keep coming!!!!!!

Cheers Andreas

[Rachel Hollander]

Andreas - nicely captured. Good low pov, comp, colors and sharpness.

TFS,
Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

Stunning light and low angle, and the behaviour is interesting yet a bit disturbing (well done on documenting such a once-in-a-lifetime natural occurrence, Andreas!)
I'd be really interested to get some more info from a zoological standpoint as to why this occurs???