Maybe angry 'cause of global warming
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Maybe angry 'cause of global warming

by Renato R. Colucci, Dept. of Earth System Sciences and Environmental Technology. CNR-ISMAR, Trieste, Italy

Glaciers are shrinking even in Antarctica due to global warming especially in its maritime part, and new portions of land are abandoned by the ice every year.
Retreat of the Mc Leod glacier (on the background of the picture), now just few tens of meters from the shoreline, has allowed this beach to form again and hundreds of furseals every day take some rest here.
Furseals are present in great number in the South Orkneys especially at Signy Island where a number close to 10,000 specimens occupy the island's beaches. The population is lately increasing very fast and are quite aggressive with humans, even if not dangerous. Here a young male is trying to scare me while I'm taking a picture in close proximity.
Thanks to ENEA-PNRA (Italian National Antarctic Research Program), the BAS (British Antarctic Survey) and Prof. Nicoletta Cannone and Mauro Guglielmin.