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, they have slowly been reclaiming their kingdom on mainland Aotearoa.
So, what will living with pakake look like? Yes, they are large and intimidating; they are also very tolerant of humans, placid, curious, and playful. If they instigate play, be boring and walk away.
Yes, they like to hang out at the beach and occasionally relax in style on your picnic blanket; thankfully Aotearoa has approximately 15,000 km of coastline we can share.
No, they aren’t as fond of dogs as we are; and they appreciate your dog being walked on a lead.
No, they aren’t impressed by fast cars; they know how good the sand feels beneath their flippers.
Next time you are at the beach, quietly observe them from 10 + meters distance and you will discover why so many of us consider ourselves fortunate to share our backyard with the rarest seal in the world.
Photo: Sian Mair.