Sea lion goes on upstream adventure
A YOUNG male New Zealand sea lion is turning heads on a more than 25km swim up the swollen Taieri River.
Last spotted on Monday afternoon at Outram Glen, the sea lion was the subject of several photographs and a video sent to the Otago Daily
The animal has also been spotted at Henley and on a farm at Outram.
Department of Conservation Otago coastal ranger Jim Fyfe said the animals were highly mobile and loved to explore.
He was not surprised by the animal’s journey.
There were a lot of examples of sea lions up rivers, including the Clutha, Shag, and Kakanui Rivers. It was probably more surprising that there had not been more sightings in the Taieri River,
Mr Fyfe said.
This time of year, the department expected sea lions to turn up in unusual places because male sea lions were seeking out female sea lions ‘‘who would rather not be found’’.
Sea lions had a good grasp on navigation, and this young male was expected to find its way back to sea.
If people did see sea lions in unusual places, Mr Fyfe asked for the public to give them space.
If it looked like they were in danger, call the Doc hotline, he said.