A leopard seal resting on Petone Beach in Lower Hutt has become a local celebrity, drawing more than 150 curious visitors since it came ashore on Saturday afternoon.
Leopard seals are apex predators (top-of-the-food-chain hunters) that can grow up to 3.5 metres long and weigh as much as 500 kilograms. Despite its size, this one has simply been having a snooze on the sand.
Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger Melody McLaughlin said it has been wonderful to see, and praised the crowds for behaving well.
“It’s so awesome to have animals like this come and visit us around New Zealand,” she said. “I really have to give a shoutout to people because they’ve been awesome. They’ve been really respectful, keeping space, giving the animal plenty of space.”
The stretch of beach is usually a spot where dogs can be walked off their leads, but McLaughlin said everyone had kept their dogs on a lead instead, which she said was a smart move, since leopard seals can seriously hurt dogs, especially smaller ones, that get too close.
McLaughlin said leopard seal visits are still rare in New Zealand but seem to be happening more often. DOC is not trying to herd this one back into the water, and says it will head off to sea again once it’s ready.
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