Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
You know the water has warmed up when we're getting jellyfish in the lineup in Dunedin. I wouldn't say I'm ready for a boardies surf just yet, but it feels like summer.
As we hit the end of the year we also see the return of the sea lions with activity and interactions in the surf increasing toward the peak of summer. Here's a cheat sheet if you don't already know how to handle yourself when encountering a sea lion in the surf.
The female sea lions, many of whom are pregnant and full of baby sea lion, are venturing into the parks and streets at this time of year. They are hiding away from the males, who are arriving for the mating season which is also in full swing.
My theory is that the females use the more populated beaches, parks, playgrounds, roads and urbanisation as a screen – the males are less likely to search them out through a maze of beach walkers, dogs and traffic. That also means you have to be extra careful driving around on our roads for the next few months – they can literally pop out of the bushes and launch onto any of our beach-side roads at anytime. There is one female who likes to lounge around on the road between Taieri Mouth and Brighton and a few who like to cross the road to Smaills Beach, others are regularly on John Wilson Ocean Drive and even Victoria Road.
If you do come across a sandy-coloured female sea lion camped out then give them space and let others know so they can do the same – they need all the rest they can get. Often tourists won't be aware of the rules around sea lions so remind them to stay 10-20m away and selfies up close are not a good idea – and can incur a $600 fine.
Having sea lions in our city and our lineups is pretty cool – so remember to enjoy those moments.
See you at the beach ... Derek
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Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: