Arctic Ring Seal

One of the hardest things to photograph in the Arctic seems to be the elusive Ring Seal, a commonly hunted target by Inuit who still rely on the beautiful creatures for their sustenance as well as using the skins of the animals for clothing. Due to their leery nature, they most often flee at the first signs of human activity near the water. But every so often you get the chance to take some wonderful close-up photos of the seals.

They are curious creatures, so calling out to them will make them lift their heads out of the water to get a fix on your location before they give you a blank stare, snort some sea water out of their nostril, and dive back under the water. More often you don't even see more than the top of the seal's head as it only needs its nose to be out of the water to breathe. And sticking your head up is a good way to get popped by an Inuit hunter.