Leopard seals are regular visitors to Australia and New Zealand, and wandering seals have also been found on the southern coasts of South America and South Africa. The most northerly sighting of the species is from the Cook Islands. A seal limb looks very different from a human foot. Under the skin, however, the bones are the same, adapted over millions of years of their different functions. A seal limb has been modified to form a webbed paddle.
Leopard seals have huge almost reptilian heads and a long slender body.
The nostrils are positioned on top of the muzzle. There is no obvious forehead. This seal has a massive lower jaw, a long neck and a large gape. The other teeth are multi-lobed. The leopard seal is named for its spotted coat pattern.