Hi all, I would like to ask a question of anyone with a working knowledge of Leopard Seals (Hydrurga leptonyx). I recently photographed a mature adult on the south east coast of New South Wales in Australia. On more than one occasion it seemed to be eating sand. Is this a "normal" behaviour for this species? I assumed that it was doing this as an aid to digestion or as a dog would eat grass, though I guess that in the Antarctic there is not a lot of sand about. It seemed to be otherwise fit and healthy. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I can forward photos if necessary. I am about to post the images on our web site and would like to include an accurate caption regarding the behaviour. Reply to info@marinethemes.com With thanks, Kelvin Aitken.