This weekend was Waitange Day in New Zealand, and to celbrate I thought I would joing a few other scientist in doing what we love best...obtaining knowledge for the betterment of the world. In this particular case, we were in Kaikoura doing some seal population counts. I call it seal hunting because we were actively looking for seal pups, though no animals were harmed..just given nice stylish mohawk hair cuts.
We had a permit from DOC to catch the pups, weigh them and measure their growth. From our counts...tentitively, there are over 1000 pups at this colony. THIS IS A GREAT THING. For all those who think seals should be killed, this colony was not a breeding one until 1990. That means that in 19 years there has been around a 30 percent population increase. This colony is healthy and thriving given its recent set backs from actual seal hunting for the fur industry.
These animals were soooo cute, but do not try any of this stuff unless you have a permit to do so, and you are trained. Seal bites can be nasty and painful. On the other hand they are very hearty creatures that can hold their own ground. And if you are wandering, there is a rule that all humans must stay 10 meters back from all seals. This is for their safety and yours. I on the otherhand, did not listen and had an amazing time being a seal biologist :)
