photo credit: Paul Nicklen/National Geographic/YouTube

Leopard seals are huge predators who mostly live in and around Antarctica. Though they will eat small fish and krill, they are the main predator for penguins. These seals can reach up to 3.5 m (11.7 ft) in length and tip the scales at up to 600 kilograms (1,320 lbs). They have massive sharp front teeth used for shredding meat and can open their mouths twice as far as a Grizzly bear. Yikes.

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen put his life on the line when he got into the water with these these huge predators. The first time they came face-to-face, the leopard seal put Nicklen’s entire camera and head into its mouth.

What came next needs to be seen to be believed: