I am disheartened to learn of another New Zealand sea lions/pakake being harassed / harmed on their territories. The latest incident occurred on the 4th of January 2022 in Dunedin NZ, when a sea lion cow (female) was swung at twice with a bodyboard by a man. Sea lions are large mammals and can be intimidating; but they are not motivated to inflict you pain. If a sea lion charges you, it is because they feel threatened and they are telling you to ‘back off.’ The Southern East coast of New Zealand is their habitat; therefore, it is our responsibility to respect their space.
Department of Conservation Otago Ranger Jim Fyfe suggests, “Be boring. Don’t interact. They are coming in for a reaction like an excited dog so you should react calmly and try not to be the focus of the attention. Back off and leave it a couple of minutes and the sea lion will go back out to sea.” Auckland Zoo Elephant and Seal/Sea Lion Keeper Odin Neil suggests, “Keep the safe 20m recommended distance from them. Be happy if you see a sea lion, as viewing them is very rare. Respect their space, as they spend a lot of time out at sea, and they return to land to sleep and to socialise with whānau and friends.”