A pregnant sea lion has returned to a busy Dunedin beach to be with her pup.
When Moana the sea lion was pregnant for the first time late last year, she chose St Clair Beach to relax before entering motherhood.
New Zealand Sea Lion Trust board member Jordana Whyte said Moana had given birth to her pup, Pebble, on a beach on Otago Peninsula in early January.
The first-time mother was "doing a great job'' nursing her pup, Ms Whyte said.
Moana was pregnant again and was relaxing at St Clair before leaving to give birth to her second pup.
Moana's return to the beach was not a surprise.
"They do tend to have their favourite beaches to hang out before pupping time,'' Ms Whyte said.
Pebble was in "great condition'' and was big enough to go fishing alone.
The trust named her Pebble because she resembled a pebble on the rocky foreshore where she was born.
The public needed to give the sea lions "the respect and peace they deserve'', Ms Whyte said.
"It is really important we give her space and to keep dogs away.''
People had to remain at least 10m away when the sea lions were sleeping and 20m away when they were active.
The sea lions were minor royals in the Dunedin sea lion population, having direct lineage back to Mum, the modern-day matriarch who was the first in 150 years to give birth on the mainland, and whose statue was unveiled at St Clair in July last year.
Sea lions reached maturity for breeding at 4 years of age, and had single pups until their early 20s, Ms Whyte said.
A juvenile male leopard seal was relaxing about 300m away from the mother and pup.
