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[[File:Admiral Bellingshausen.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]
[[File:Crabeater Pléneau Bay.jpg|250px|left]]
'''[[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]]''', a [[Foreign relations of Westarctica|Russian]] officer of Baltic German descent in the Imperial Russian Navy, cartographer and explorer, ultimately rose to the rank of Admiral. He participated in the first Russian circumnavigation of the globe and subsequently became a leader of another circumnavigation expedition which discovered the continent of [[Antarctica]].
The '''[[crabeater seal]]''' is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of [[Antarctica]]. They are found primarily on the free-floating [[pack ice]] that extends seasonally out from the Antarctic coast, which they use as a platform for resting, mating, social aggregation and accessing their prey. They are by far the most abundant seal species in the world. While population estimates are uncertain, there are at least 7 million and possibly as many as 75 million individuals. This success of this species is due to its specialized predation on the abundant [[Antarctic krill]] of the [[Southern Ocean]], for which it has uniquely adapted, sieve-like tooth structure.


As a prominent cartographer, Bellingshausen was appointed to command the Russian circumnavigation of the globe in 1819-1821, intended to explore the [[Southern Ocean]] and to find land in the proximity of the [[South Pole]]. Mikhail Lazarev prepared the expedition and was made Bellingshausen's second-in-command and the captain of the sloop ''Mirny'', while Bellingshausen himself commanded the sloop ''Vostok''.
Despite its name, crabeater seals do not eat crabs. As well as being an important [[krill]] predator, the crabeater seal is an important component of the diet of [[leopard seal|leopard seals]], which consume about 80% of all crabeater pups.


During this expedition Bellingshausen and Lazarev became the first explorers to see the land of [[Antarctica]] on 27 January 1820. They circumnavigated the continent twice and never lost each other from view. Thus they disproved Captain Cook's assertion that it was impossible to find land in the southern ice-fields. The expedition discovered and named [[Peter I Island]], the [[Antarctic Peninsula]] and made other discoveries in the tropical waters of the Pacific.
'''([[crabeater seal|Full Article...]])'''
 
'''([[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen|Full Article...]])'''

Latest revision as of 13:37, 19 March 2026

Crabeater Pléneau Bay.jpg

The crabeater seal is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of Antarctica. They are found primarily on the free-floating pack ice that extends seasonally out from the Antarctic coast, which they use as a platform for resting, mating, social aggregation and accessing their prey. They are by far the most abundant seal species in the world. While population estimates are uncertain, there are at least 7 million and possibly as many as 75 million individuals. This success of this species is due to its specialized predation on the abundant Antarctic krill of the Southern Ocean, for which it has uniquely adapted, sieve-like tooth structure.

Despite its name, crabeater seals do not eat crabs. As well as being an important krill predator, the crabeater seal is an important component of the diet of leopard seals, which consume about 80% of all crabeater pups.

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