GREY SEAL & BIG CODFISH

The seal has just brought the big cod to the surface ... alive

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,0, 1/320, ISO 3600

I had this extraordinary experience on the morning of February 1st. My house located in the dead end of the Oslo Fiord, "Bundefjorden", and is only 5 m from the sea. As I got out ... in the snow ... with slippers ... tho feed "my" seagulls (I feed them every morning through the entire winter, I spend a fortune on dogfood for them !) ... there was this subadult grey seal (havert) battling around very close to the shore ... with a decent sized codfish !! The fish was so big that it actually took the seal a bit of struggle to kill it. When the fish finally gave up the struggle and past to "the other side", the seal could start the meal, and I was not surprised to see that the preferred part was first the soft intestines. However I was surprised to see that the next choice was the skin, and to access the skin the seal efficiently & experienced skinned the prey. I assume this is  because of higher consentration of fat / protein in intestines & skin.

 

Seals are not seen every day in "my fiord" ... so seeing this on such a close range and beeing able to shoot the pictures "full frame" like this ... was very special to me.

Struggling with the fish

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,5, 1/640, ISO 4500

Battling on the surface

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,0, 1/320, ISO 3200

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,0, 1/640, ISO 12800

The fish is dead .... and seal is having a short break

cod has D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,0, 1/640, ISO 7200

Enjoying the soft parts first

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,0, 1/640, ISO 7200

Yummi, yummi

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,5, 1/640, ISO 5000

After enjoying the soft parts, the skin seemed to be preferred next 

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,5, 1/640, ISO 4500

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,5, 1/640, ISO 3200

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,5, 1/640, ISO 4500

The fish now appears totally skinned 

D5, 600 mm 4,0, f/4,5, 1/640, ISO 5000