Brief Sealion Facts
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I am passionate about photographing New Zealand Sealions (also known as pakake in Māori) are one of the rarest sealion species in the world and are endemic to New Zealand.
I'm not a Sealion expert, I just love being around them and photographing them and our NZ Fur Seals.
Here are some interesting facts about them:
Scientific Name: Phocarctos hookeri
Males are significantly larger than females and can grow to 3.5 meters in length and weigh approx. 320 to 450 kg. They have a blackish-brown coat and a black mane.
Females are smaller, measuring up to 2 meters and weigh approx. 90 to 160 kg. They have a buff to creamy grey coat with darker pigmentation around the muzzle and flippers.
Both males and females have large eyes and sensitive whiskers (vibrissae) that help them navigate and hunt in the dark depths of the ocean.
Habitat - They primarily breed on New Zealand’s subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands but have begun breading on the southern coast of South and Stewart Islands of NZ. Which is where I love photographing them.
Behavior – They are unique among pinnipeds as the females move inland with their pups during the breeding season to protect them from male harassment and storms etc. They can move up to 2 km inland, preferring forests and tall grasses. They are quite agile on their flippers and can get up quite a speed on flat sand.
They have a curious nature and seem unafraid of humans. The young males seem to be mischievous and can be seen trying to interact with people on the beach and surfers in the water around the South Island coast.
New Zealand sea lions have a varied diet that includes:
Fish They consume species like hoki, red and blue cod.
Squid Arrow squid is a significant part of their diet as well as octopus which they hunt and eat.
They also eat various bottom-dwelling organisms like crustaceans and small fish, their diet can vary depending on the availability of prey in their habitat. They are known to dive deep and forage over large areas to find food. Sealions are capable of diving to 600 meters and a dive normally lasts about 4 minutes but can last for approx. 14 minutes.
Predators include oracs and great white sharks but the sealion's diving capabilities are essential for their survival against these predators.
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