Antarctic leopard seal calling Auckland home

Friday October 14, 2016

Antarctic leopard seal calling Auckland home

Leopard seals are a protected species normally found in Antarctica. However, one female leopard seal has, for now, decided to call Auckland home.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) received its first sighting of the leopard seal 16 months ago, at the mouth of the Ruakaka River, south of Whangarei. Since then she’s moved south and has been resident in Auckland waters for at least 13 months.

The number of leopard seals spending time in New Zealand waters is rising. In the last two years, DOC has received almost 100 reports of leopard seals at sites around New Zealand.

“It’s not unusual for a leopard seals to visit New Zealand in winter. But they normally stay for a short period then head south for Antarctica in spring,” says Auckland Marine Ranger Dr. Krista Hupman. “What’s unusual is having a leopard seal stay in New Zealand for 16 months and take up residence in the waters of our largest city,” says Dr Hupman.

In recognition of this rare occurrence, Ngati Whatua ki Orakei have named the leopard seal He owha nā ōku tūpuna or Owha for short. This means treasured bequest or gift from our ancestors.

“Seals are wild animals and will defend themselves if they feel threatened. Leopard seals can be more aggressive than New Zealand fur seals,” says Dr Hupman.

“But Owah has been seen on beaches, marina pontoons and public boat ramps throughout Auckland, on Waiheke and on other Hauraki Gulf islands for the last 13 months without causing anyone any harm.”

“The key to watching this seal safely is to keep your distance, at least 20 metres away, and don’t startle her. If you do find yourself closer than 20 metres from her, stay calm and quietly move away.”

“Also avoid getting in between the seal and the water. Keep children and dogs away from the seal and under control and do not feed her,” says Dr Hupman.

Leopard seals are protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978. It’s an offence to disturb, harass, harm, injure or kill any seal. A dog owner, whose dog attacks a seal, could also face prosecution.

“DOC is working closely with staff at marinas and other waterfront sites, where Owha is popping up, to manage safety concerns posed by having a leopard seal around people,” says Dr Hupman.

“We’re helping them to recognise that it is very important to distance yourself from Owha and stay calm to minimise safety risks. If the appropriate guidelines are followed there’s no need to fear this animal,” says Dr Hupman.

DOC has placed signs at some of the leopard seals favourite Auckland marinas. The signs inform boat owners and visitors about the leopard seal and advise them how to stay safe if they see it.

DOC maintains regular contact with these marinas and conducts regular patrols to ensure their boat owners feel safe. DOC also has staff ready to respond if the seal appears in any public places and poses any risk to members of the public.

DOC is working with the vets at Auckland Zoo’s New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine to monitor Owha’s extended stay in Auckland.

“Together we’re looking at whether Owha could be relocated. This is a complex process and would require Owha to be anaesthetized, which is a high-risk procedure with seals. As soon as they’re anesthetised, some seals go into a dive reflex and stop breathing. If this happens it can be difficult to stop the seal from suffocating” says Dr Hupman.

“We’ve been strongly advised by international leopard seal experts that we should not put the life of this animal at risk if it’s not threatening people,” says Dr Hupman.

Request for public help tracking Owha, the leopard seal’s, movements

DOC is asking the public to help us track Owha, the leopard seal’s movements. “We want to know if she remains in Auckland waters and monitor her movements in public places,” says Dr. Hupman.

DOC has partnered with Wellington company ThunderMaps and Gemma McGrath, to enable a new free phone app to be used to monitor Owha’s movements. Mainly used for monitoring Hector’s dolphins, the app has been modified so it can accept sightings of other marine mammals. Anyone seeing Owha can instantly upload the location and photos. The app is called ‘Hector’s Dolphin Sightings’ and is free to download from Google Play and the App Store.

Leopard seals are 2.3 to 3.5 metres long with a light grey head, throat and belly, scattered with dark grey and black spots.

New Zealand fur seals are around 1.5 meters long with brown fur on their bodies

• How to watch seals safely

• Keep your distance and stay at least 20 metres from the seal.

• Avoid getting between the seal and the water.

• Keep small children under your control and at a safe distance from the seal.

• Keep your dog on a short leash and under control around the seal.

• Do not make loud noises, throw objects or do anything else to provoke the seal.

• Do not feed the seal.

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