The Most Spectacular Photos of 2017

A curious young Weddell seal, weeks old, comes in for a close-up. It may have been the pups’ first swim, says marine biologist Pierre Chevaldonné, who has worked at Dumont d’Urville. Weddell seals are the most southerly breeding mammal in the world.

This photo was originally published in “Deepest Dive Ever Under Antarctica Reveals a Shockingly Vibrant World,” in July 2017.