Today, the 22nd of March, is the International Day of the Seal! This special day is about promoting the conservation of seals worldwide. Did you know Aotearoa has three indigenous seal species? – New Zealand sea lions/pakake (Phocarctos hookeri). Pakake are otariids or eared seals; males are brown/black, and females are cream/grey coloured. Males can …
Thank you Forest & Bird! It is a privilege to be published in your Magazine Autumn Edition! A tremendous amount of volunteer hours, passion, persistence, petrol (to meet interested parties and monitor the New Zealand sea lions/pakake in The Catlins) and networking went in to building the ‘Protect Endangered New Zealand Sea Lion’ campaign. Mine …
In celebration of Seaweek, and one of Aotearoa’s taonga species New Zealand sea lions/pakake, the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust gave an excellent presentation about ‘Living with Pakake’ at Otago Museum. Before human colonisation, pakake resided throughout Aotearoa and after being almost wiped out by Sealing, they fled to the inhospitable Subantarctic Islands. Since 1993, …
On a warm day, there is nowhere better than the sea/moana. The moana has long been a part of the Kiwi culture; bring the sun or a decent swell, and the beach will be rhythmic with energy. In Dunedin Ōtepoti, it is not uncommon to see surfers carving up the waves (potentially in competition with …