With the bite in the air these past few days we're often reminded just how close we are to Antarctica, but something else drove that home even more these past few days.
A yearling male Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) hauled out at Middles not far from St Clair Beach on Sunday and has been chilling out there ever since. These guys seldom visit our shores so this is a pretty special event.
In Antarctica they are something of a star among the "true seals" found there. Mainly because they are the cutest seals we have in the southern hemisphere and they are really placid. Their pups will melt your heart. As adults they are just as charming with a fixed grin, round fat bodies and a round head and face. They can dive to 750m and hold their breath for up to 73 minutes. They hunt under the ice and use breathing holes to survive. They actually use their front teeth to keep the holes open and to exploit cracks in the ice. An adult weighs up to 600kg and the females can reach 3.3m in length. This yearling is only halfway there. They're the most vocal of all the Antarctic seals and are amazingly fast swimmers – they often catch Antarctic toothfish. They have a pretty good attitude on land, too – a lazy look to check you out and then back on the snooze button again. After travelling all the way from Antarctica's fast ice, I feel he deserves his rest.
But this rare visitor's peace was shattered a few hours after I took the photo above.
Someone was walking a dog off leash when their dog attacked the Weddell Seal in what appears to have been a sustained and lengthy assault. To the owner's credit they eventually intervened and pulled the dog off the seal and called the DOC Wildlife Hotline (0800 362 468). But the damage to the seal completely guts me and the local team at DOC who were first on the scene. To see an animal like this with open, bleeding puncture wounds to the throat, around the eyes, abdomen and flanks is just so disturbing.
Can you imagine this seal's journey through the Southern Ocean during a period of long and high-energy winter swell only to be mauled by someone's pet dog. It's disgraceful.
Together with DOC coastal ranger Jim Fyfe and his wife, Kuini, we watched over the seal until dark. Each time a dog came near the seal looked panicked. It was terrible to see. As much as I love seeing these seals on our beaches a part of me has to question whether we're ready as a society to embrace them. We all have a role to play in that answer. All of us – surfers, walkers, runners and dog walkers need to live and breathe the role of kaitiaki – guardians – for our beaches.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS If you want to help improve our welcome for these seals, our sea lions and other wildlife, support the NZ Sea Lion Trust and Doc in its efforts to communicate a few basic rules when encountering them: 1) Stay at least 20m away (50m for penguins) at all times. 2) Dogs must be on a leash even if your pooch is well controlled. 3) Let other walkers and dog walkers know where wildlife is so they can take precautions. 4) Share these rules with your friends and any visitors. 5) Be stoked to share our home with these creatures, but remember your role as kaitiaki of our beaches.
Proudly supported by:
