An elephant seal that has been basking on the inner city banks of the Water of Leith is looking for company but in all the wrong places, Department of Conservation ranger Jim Fyfe says.
The wide-eyed creature had attracted crowds of onlookers since it appeared on Monday.
The seal, which was first spotted near the Sea Scout shed on Portobello road last week, was the second to invade the city this month.
A juvenile fur seal, dubbed ''Dale'' by users of local social media pages, had been spotted munching on octopus in the upper reaches of Otago Harbour, perched on the deck of an Andersons Bay house and relaxing rather dangerously on Portobello Rd.
Mr Fyfe said while it was pure coincidence the seals had inhabited parts of the city at the same time, it was a good indication of the harbour's health.
''It appears there is good food in the harbour and definitely Dale has been getting lots of octopus so he is not short of food while he is here.''
While Dale's octopus diet was not in keeping with the normal mid-size fish diet of most fur seals, like humans, individual seals had individual tastes, Mr Fyfe said.
The elephant seal in the Leith was likely attracted to the city for different reasons.
''It is the first elephant seal I have heard of up the Leith, but if she was down in the Perseverance Harbour in Campbell Island, which is the closest main breeding area, all those streams coming into the harbour would be areas where she would expect to find other elephant seals.''
Before the elephant seal arrived in the Water of Leith, Mr Fyfe spotted her in the Maia lagoon calling ''as if she expected a
reply''.
''She is looking for company, but in all the wrong places.
''All she is finding is trucks and buses and trains.''
The public should expect to see more seals and sea lions in the coming months, though most would be on beaches, rather than on roads and decks, he said.
The Department of Conservation would continue to monitor both seals.
