The population of Antarctic Fur Seals on South Georgia Island is the densest marine animal population on the planet.
Antarctic Fur Seals are one type of nine species of Fur Seals that exist worldwide. They were almost hunted to extinction for their fur (hence the name “Fur Seals”). The near extinction of another animal – baleen whales – may be the main reason the diminutive Antarctic Fur Seal population bounced back, because there was a huge reduction in competition for krill.
At the turn into the 20th Century only a few hundred Antarctic Fur Seals were found on South Georgia Island due to excessive hunting. Now the species numbers in the hundreds of thousands if not millions during the breeding period.