---
title: "Foka Weddella"
description: "Leptonychotes weddellii — Ssaki. The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pl/animal/weddell-seal
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Foka Weddella

> Leptonychotes weddellii — Ssaki. The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica.

- Scientific name: *Leptonychotes weddellii*
- Category: `mammals` (Ssaki)
- Habitats: `sea` (Morze i wybrzeże), `arctic` (Arktyka)
- iNaturalist observations: 1928
- Wikidata: [Q313166](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313166)
- iNaturalist taxon: [41731](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41731)

## Names

- en: Weddell Seal
- de: Weddellrobbe
- es: Foca de Weddell
- fr: Phoque de Weddell
- nl: Weddellzeehond
- pt: Foca-de-weddell
- pl: Foka Weddella

## Countries with the most observations

GS (22), NZ (11), AR (4)

## Summary

The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing captain James Weddell to the area of the Southern Ocean now known as the Weddell Sea. The life history of this species is well documented since it occupies fast ice environments close to the Antarctic continent and often adjacent to Antarctic bases.  It is the only species in the genus Leptonychotes.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weddell_seal

## Photo

![Foka Weddella](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/weddell-seal/medium.jpg)

Photo: steve b · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/252093356

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/weddell-seal?lang=pl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).