When National Geographic contributing photographer Paul Nicklen saw one of the largest Leopard Sea Lions he has ever experienced, he did the unthinkable and jumped into the frigid Antarctica waters in an attempt to get the perfect shot.
It turns out, the story of the day wouldn't be the size of this magnificent animal before him, it would be what this Sea Lion, a known vicious predator of the sea, did for Nicklen.
The moment their eyes locked, Nicklen said the Sea Lion went on the defensive and snapped at his camera and even grasped Nicklen in his mouth. He thought he was a goner, but amazingly, something shifted in the Sea Lion's demeanor and this great king of the sea swam off. When he returned, he was holding a penguin in his mouth and offered his feast up to Nicklen. When he didn't oblige, the Sea Lion grabbed another penguin from his bounty and offered it again to Nicklen. It was as if the Sea Lion had taken pity on Nicklen, believing he would never survive these waters on his own.
Looking back, Nicklen said having this "deadly predator" feed him, nurture him and take pity on him was one of the greatest experiences of his life. This beautiful exchange lasted for four days while Nicklen was shooting in the area and, lucky for us, was all caught on camera.
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