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.

A young male New Zealand sea lion swims in the Taieri River 
...
A young male New Zealand sea lion swims in the Taieri River at Outram Glen on Monday. PHOTO: GEMMA CHENAI

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 Times.

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.

A young male New Zealand sea lion looks a little out of place in an Outram farmer’s field, but...
A young male New Zealand sea lion looks a little out of place in an Outram farmer’s field, but the Department of Conservation says the animal is expected to find its way back to sea. PHOTO: MELANIE RUXTON

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz

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