First-time mother Pebble relaxes yesterday on the beach at Tomahawk, in Dunedin, with her new and recently tagged pup. Pebble was born on nearby Boulder Beach in January 2016.
The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust named her Pebble because she resembled a pebble on the rocky foreshore where she was born.
Department of Conservation biodiversity manager Jim Fyfe confirmed 19 sea lion pups had been counted on the Eastern Otago coast so far this year, and there were likely still a few more to be found.
PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
