Leopard seal visiting Petone Beach has an audience, but could be dangerous

Sunday, 14 October 2018

Among the leopard seals seen in New Zealand waters was this visitor to Petone in October.

A Leopard seal on Petone Beach north of Wellington has been cordoned off from the public by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

The seal could be seen rolling in the waves on Sunday morning, near the Settlers Museum on the Lower Hutt waterfront.

A DOC spokeswoman said the seal, reported at about 11am, was a large male and was 'simply having a rest on the beach'.

'A ranger went to Petone Beach and put a tape cordon around the Leopard seal to keep people away … for their safety and so the seal isn't disturbed.'

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DOC had also raised signs about the Leopard seals, advising them to keep their dogs away, she said.

'She also was speaking with people who stopped to look at it.'

The DOC website says seals are wild animals and will defend themselves if they feel threatened.

The seal appears harmless, but they can be dangerous.

'While they can look harmless, leopard seals can swivel around very quickly from their resting position to attack and can inflict serious injuries to dogs or people. They also can carry infectious diseases.'

People should stay at least 20 metres away from Leopard seals, it says.

Last week a dog attacked and killed a baby seal, prompting a warning from DOC.

The dog's owner was walking the dog off lead on the beach, at West Shore in Napier.

It is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 (MMPA) to disturb, harass, harm, injure or kill a seal, and a dog owner whose dog attacks a seal could face prosecution.