These underwater images of a rare sea creature, deep in the Antarctic, could be a world first and they were captured with a less-than-ideal lens

In a world that’s full of cameras, it’s easy to assume that we’ve photographed everything that could possibly be photographed. But for wildlife photographers in particular, many encounters are still incredibly hard to come by and few more so than the Ross seal. That’s why recent underwater imagery of this charismatic mammal has astounded the wildlife community.

According to the photographer, Justin Hofman (@justinhofman), this is quite possibly the first time a Ross seal has been photographed underwater. And what a fine series of photographs it is! My favorite photograph is a close-up of the dog-like creature, gazing doe-eyed into the lens of the camera.

There’s also a profile portrait that shows off the species’ distinctive, almost beluga-like, head, with dapples of light from the water’s surface dancing across the seal’s body. Another shot shows the animal dipping its head just below the water’s surface, while the final image is a minimalist photograph of the seal surrounded by large portions of deep-blue negative space.

What makes this encounter even more astounding is that Justin wasn’t exactly well prepared – how could he be? He told TechRadar that he’d typically use a wide-angle zoom up close to “maximize impact,” but all he had attached to his Sony A1 was a 90mm macro.

What aided his mission to photograph the elusive creature was the location. He said on Instagram: “we set a new 'furthest south' for a voyage to Antarctica with @lindbladexp aboard the National Geographic Resolution.” Unfortunately, this isn’t really good news, with the photographer revealing that the ship was only able to travel so far into the Antarctic due to climate change.

The photographer was accompanied by videographer Ayla Townsend (@aylatownsend), who also managed to capture some incredible moments with the seal (above), bringing home some of the only underwater video footage of the playful creatures to boot.

According to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, Ross seals are so rare because they live in very remote parts of the Antarctic and only account for a small portion of the seal population that reside in the region's pack ice. They were first discovered during an expedition led by James Clark Ross aboard HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, the two infamous ships that would later embark on the doomed Franklin expedition.

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Just a few weeks ago, a research camera captured a sleeper shark in the Antarctic Ocean, also thought to be a world first. But if you’re out photographing wildlife, do make sure that you abide by the rules: Photographer chases owl around field and refuses to stop. If you’re looking for more kit for nature photography, check out the best cameras for wildlife photographers.