Get off my beach! Sea captain who nodded off on Antarctic beach gets a wild wake-up call
Resting on a deserted beach the last thing sea captain Jerome Poncet expected was a huge blubbery local to join him for a spot of sunbathing.
But that's exactly what happened when a four-ton male elephant seal caught him cat napping near his territory in South Georgia.
The Frenchman had piloted his boat Golden Fleece to Britain's most remote colony, near Antarctica, with an expedition team of six wildlife photographers on board, and found the local inhabitants more than happy to pose for pictures.
Wake up sleepyhead! A male elephant seal roars at sleeping sea captain Jerome Poncet in South Georgia, Antarctica
Mr Poncet, 55, even attracted a flock of King Penguins as he caught forty winks. Pictures show how at one point he had a massive wild elephant seal on one side and a large group of curious penguins on the other.
The group had travelled thousands of miles to capture the explosive rutting season of the colossal elephant seal males.
Can you hear me? Sea captain snoozes soundly despite the nearby attentions of an elephant seal
Czech wildlife photographer Vaclav Silha, 60, from Prague, led the expedition and turned to see the amazing showdown before him.
'Jerome is such a deep sleeper he didn't seem to notice the huge male come over to inspect him,' he said. 'The seal must have wondered what this strange creature was.
'I'm glad he fell asleep because it gave me a great view of some amazing wildlife. 'And it was a great moment for a picture that he can hang on his wall forever.'
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