Freshly sealed rock

This rock on the Abel Tasman coast has been freshly sealed with the offspring of the New Zealand fur seal/kekeno (Arctocephalus forsteri). Females live as long as 17 years and start having pups at around 4 to 6 years of age. They have one a year until they die. Pups are preyed upon by orca, sharks and New Zealand sea lions. The main threat to the seal population, though, remains humans, despite the fact that hunting stopped in the late 1940s. Seals can be caught up in trawling and long line operations and drown as a result, and rubbish and nets drifting in the sea are also an issue. Then there’s the threat that tourism poses. Although seeing fur seals in the wild can be a great experience, it’s not a good idea to get too close. They can be dangerous to us, but we can also disturb them, leaving them poorly rested or disrupting mothers’ ability to care properly for their pups. Personally, I prefer to see seals at a distance. Yes, they look all cool and sleek, but they smell, which becomes apparent when you’re not even that close to a seal colony.