Kia ora Odin, how long have you been the Seals Keeper at Auckland Zoo? I’ve been at Auckland Zoo for 12 years, working with our fur seals and sea lions. What degree did you gain to qualify as a Seals Keeper? I did the Captive Wild Animals course at Unitec, which was a year-long course …
When the world opens, people will be itching to travel again, such as the Tropics who will see people flooding the beaches. With the lack of tourism worldwide, locals will double down on the efforts to sell you trinkets to remember your trip by. The question is: what exactly are you bringing home? And where …
Recently (pre Delta variant lockdown, ahh those were the days), I had the pleasure of interviewing Odin Neil, who is the Elephants and Seal/Sea Lions Keeper at Auckland Zoo. He was a great interviewee and a wealth of knowledge! Photographer Sam and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to Odin, someone as passionate about New Zealand sea …
Did you know that 81 percent of New Zealand sea lion/pakake pups were reported to have died during 2019 and 2020 at Campbell Island in the Sub Antarctic Region? That is the highest reported incidents of New Zealand sea lion pup mortalities. Life in the Sub Antarctic Islands is harsh – residents are subjected to …
New Zealander’s have debated and acted to increase reusable materials, better recycle, correctly dispose of rubbish waste and, like some of the actions carried out by Sea Society, even collect waste improperly disposed of in natural areas. Tackling the root cause is important and, then prioritizing REDUCING, avoiding over-consumption and production. So, this Plastic Free …
What is the ‘Howl of a Protest’ about? Today, farmers from Kaitaia to Southland took to the streets to protest seven specific Government policies and regulations regarding freshwater management. Per Groundswell NZ, these seven policies are: 1) The National Policy Statement on Freshwater must be scrapped. Catchment groups and Regional Councils should have jurisdiction over …
Southland disAbility Enterprises Ltd is a great Charity that employs individuals with disabilities at their recycling plant in Invercargill, Southland NZ. They have partnered with Fortuna Group for their latest initiative – to pelletise bale wrap to be repurposed. The pelletiser will be imported from China and can turn bale wrap (made from low-density polyethylene), into pellets …
Behold, Sea Society Committee Member and GIS Wizard André’s Cannibal Bay and Surat Bay Map! There has been some confusion regarding the beaches our Change.org petition targets. Since June 2020, we have been proposing the Clutha District Council restrict vehicles on Cannibal Bay and Surat Bay in the Catlins Coast Inc, to protect their New Zealand sea lion colony. There …
Thank you Australasian Hydrographic Society New Zealand Region for having me! It was a privilege to speak about New Zealand sea lions/pakake and human impacts to Hydrography Specialists from the University of Otago, University of Canterbury, Land Information New Zealand, NIWA New Zealand, the Royal New Zealand Navy, Discovery Marine Ltd, Trimble Inc. and IIC Technologies Limited. In a nutshell, Hydrography is the measurement and …
“Waddling vagrants” were what two Little Blue Penguins/Kororā were dubbed after having to be removed twice from under sushi stand ‘Sushi Bi’ in WellingtonNZ. They were hiding near the grills beneath the stand, as it was nice and warm. Wellington District Police said the pair were temporarily detained before being released back into Wellington Harbour. …