A mechanical face seal comprising: a pair of relatively rotatable seal rings (67A, 67B) having axially opposing seal faces which define a sealing region therebetween, said seal rings (67A, 67B) being annular so as to extend circumferentially about a rotation axis, and said sealing region extending radially between inside and outside diameters of said seal rings (67A, 67B) to seal a fluid in a sealing chamber near one of said diameters thereof, said fluid being a liquid; and said seal ring 67B having a seal face 72 including respective hydrodynamic macro/micro features (70, 70-1, 70-2) which generate a fluid film of liquid that generates hydrodynamic lift during relative rotation of one of said seal rings (67A, 67B) relative to the other, characterized in that said macro/micro features (70, 70-1, 70-2) being formed as tapered channels which are provided in annular rows (82,83,84) which said rows are circumferentially extending and are radially spaced from each other across the seal face and said tapered channels having an axial depth (h) defined by a central depth portion at a center of the tapered channels and have circumferentially spaced, tapered ends which extend circumferentially from said central depth portion and terminate at respective end edges and to define a circumferential length, said tapered ends having inclined, channel faces which angle downwardly from said seal face away from said end edges and wherein said channel faces converge and intersect at a channel apex located at said axial depth (h) to define a V-shaped cross-sectional profile having said circumferential length or intersect with a bottom surface at respective apexes and located at said axial depth (h) to permit lengthening of said circumferential length of said V-shaped cross-sectional profile, said inclined channel faces extending circumferentially to said central depth portion so that a film thickness in said tapered channel progressively increases to a greatest film thickness at the center of said tapered channel and said fluid film fills the depth of said tapered channel in said central depth portion between said tapered ends, said central depth portion opening circumferentially into both of said tapered ends so that fluid flows circumferentially from one of said tapered ends to the other of said tapered ends, and said tapered ends progressively decreasing in depth from said axial depth at said central depth portion to each of said end edges at said seal face to generate said hydrodynamic lift during relative rotation of said seal rings (67A, 67B). a pair of relatively rotatable seal rings (67A, 67B) having axially opposing seal faces which define a sealing region therebetween, said seal rings (67A, 67B) being annular so as to extend circumferentially about a rotation axis, and said sealing region extending radially between inside and outside diameters of said seal rings (67A, 67B) to seal a fluid in a sealing chamber near one of said diameters thereof, said fluid being a liquid; and said seal ring 67B having a seal face 72 including respective hydrodynamic macro/micro features (70, 70-1, 70-2) which generate a fluid film of liquid that generates hydrodynamic lift during relative rotation of one of said seal rings (67A, 67B) relative to the other, characterized in that said macro/micro features (70, 70-1, 70-2) being formed as tapered channels which are provided in annular rows (82,83,84) which said rows are circumferentially extending and are radially spaced from each other across the seal face and said tapered channels having an axial depth (h) defined by a central depth portion at a center of the tapered channels and have circumferentially spaced, tapered ends which extend circumferentially from said central depth portion and terminate at respective end edges and to define a circumferential length, said tapered ends having inclined, channel faces which angle downwardly from said seal face away from said end edges and wherein said channel faces converge and intersect at a channel apex located at said axial depth (h) to define a V-shaped cross-sectional profile having said circumferential length or intersect with a bottom surface at respective apexes and located at said axial depth (h) to permit lengthening of said circumferential length of said V-shaped cross-sectional profile, said inclined channel faces extending circumferentially to said central depth portion so that a film thickness in said tapered channel progressively increases to a greatest film thickness at the center of said tapered channel and said fluid film fills the depth of said tapered channel in said central depth portion between said tapered ends, said central depth portion opening circumferentially into both of said tapered ends so that fluid flows circumferentially from one of said tapered ends to the other of said tapered ends, and said tapered ends progressively decreasing in depth from said axial depth at said central depth portion to each of said end edges at said seal face to generate said hydrodynamic lift during relative rotation of said seal rings (67A, 67B).