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Bearded Seal Close-Up, Arctic Ocean, 1997

"Looking every bit the baritone, a male bearded seal lolls in the sun. As his whiskers dry, they will curl toward his reddish face, stained from iron in the mud where he feeds. Males are known for their melodic trills, which travel many miles underwater. We suspect that these songs, as well as exuberant bubble displays, could be used to attract mates or to defend underwater territories."

—From "Bearded Seals: Going With the Floe," March 1997, National Geographic magazine

Photograph by Flip Nicklin