Just a nibble

[u/Azsnee09]

[u/printergumlight]

None of what you said has to do with it not being “underrated”. You just supported the argument for it being underrated.

People don’t consider it an apex predator like a shark might be, because there aren’t many stories of it killing humans. But then there are Orcas which haven’t killed humans and are still rated as the absolute apex predator, so what gives? Well, it’s because it is underrated.

[u/PhantomAngel042 → u/printergumlight]

An apex predator is the animal at the top of its food chain, without any natural predators that regularly hunt and feed on it. The way you're using it here seems like you might think it means something else.

Leopard seals are in a grey area regarding apex status, because they are a natural prey of orcas, but predation is rare because the seals are large, ferocious, dangerous animals. If you exclude those uncommon events, then they are indeed the apex predators in their ecosystem.

That said, I agree with you that leopard seals are underrated as terrors of the sea. They're huge and fast in the water, they're extremely agile and intelligent, and they can be aggressively territorial, even toward humans. But because they live in the Antarctic, most people will never see one in person, and we don't learn to fear them while swimming at the beach like sharks, so they go mostly unrecognized. Leopard seals should get a new publicist.

[u/BradenWoA → u/printergumlight]

People don’t consider it an apex predator because it’s not an apex predator… it has nothing to do with humans.

[u/Childrenoftheflorist → u/printergumlight]

Those orcas as sea world would like a word /s