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 weigh up to 450 kg and have glorious manes (hence the name sea lion), and females can weigh up to 160 kg. Their population is declining – in the Subantarctic Islands, but increasing on mainland Aotearoa and in total is about 12,000. They are the rarest seal in the world!
Pakake can be characterised as intelligent, playful, curious, bold, and nonchalant.
Reach out to the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust to find out how you how can involved in their conservation work.
– New Zealand fur seals/kekeno (Arctocephalus forsteri).
Kekeno are also otariids; both sexes are brown/black coloured, males can weigh up to 150 kg and females can weigh up to 50 kg. They have two layers of fur and an oxygen bubble layer in between for insulation; their thick fur made them highly sought-after during Sealing. Their population is healthy at about 200,000 and they can be found across Aotearoa, most famously in Kaikoura NZ. Kekeno can be characterised as intelligent, theatrical, timid, and shy around in humans.
– Leopard seals/rāpoka (Hydrurga leptonyx).
Rāpoka are phocids or true seals and both sexes are grey with distinctive black spots. Males can weigh up to 300 kg and females can weigh up to 500 kg. Their population is healthy at an estimated 150,000; however, sightings of them across Aotearoa shores are rare, as they spend more time in Antarctica. According to leopard seal specialist Giverny Forbes, rāpoka can be characterised as curious and confident in the water and uninterested in humans, and sleepy on land.
Reach out to Leopard Seals NZ to find out how you can get involved in their conservation work.
– Southern elephant seals/ihu koropuka (Mirounga leonina).
Ihu koropuka are also phocids, and are not officially classified as indigenous to Aotearoa, but they are residents of the Subantarctic Islands. Both sexes are dark grey immediately after moulting and then become a rusty greyish brown colour. Their most distinguishable feature is their inflatable proboscis (snout). Males can weigh up to an impressive 3,700 kg and females can weigh up to 600 kg. Their population is healthy at about 325,000. They only come ashore to reproduce and moult, and spend most of their lives at sea feeding, or resting via floating.
Photo: Southern immature male elephant seal by Oscar Thomas.