Another leopard seal joins local legend Owha in Auckland harbour

Friday, 1 October 2021

Owha the leopard seal is spotted at Westhaven Marina in Auckland after suffering an apparent gunshot wound to her face the day before.

A rare visitor spotted lazing by Auckland’s waterfront has excited local wildlife experts.

A leopard seal, initially thought to be Auckland regular Owha, has exchanged navigating the waters of the Antarctic for lapping up the early spring sun on a marina in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour.

Dr Krista Van Der Linde, founder of Leopardseals.dot.org, said the team was “always excited” to discover a new seal making use of Auckland waters.

“We're just so used to seeing Owha, and we’re so used to this being her territory, that another seal coming in was a real shock to us,” she said.

A new leopard seal has been spotted lazing around Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour.

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Initially thought to Auckland resident seal Owha, the theory was debunked when the new seal was found to have none of Owha’s distinctive scars and markings.

It was a call from a local mariner, describing a seal “smaller and a lot fluffier” than Owha, that alerted Van Der Linde to the newcomer.

Owha the leopard seal is a regular visitor to Auckland’s waterfront.

Van Der Linde examined photographs and determined the seal bore none of Owha’s characteristic markings, had darker colouring around her neck, and showed signs of moulting.

However, “we still had to send a volunteer to triple check” it wasn’t Owha, she said.

In Auckland, it was “definitely rare” to see seals in close proximity.

Van Der Linde said Owha, who was in Westhaven Marina when the new seal was spotted by the Viaduct, “won’t be fazed” by the presence of the newcomer, believed to be a juvenile.

Despite being solitary animals, only usually coming together to mate, they do encounter each other often and are frequently spotted sharing Antarctic ice shelves.

Plus, Van Der Linde said, Owha was “pretty settled” in her spot by the marina.

“I don't think anything would lead to her leaving this area, she’s quite comfortable and happy with where she is.”

Owha boomerangs between Auckland and Northland and is a regular visitor to the inner Waitematā Harbour, where she has been spotted dozing on pontoons or sunning herself on the marina since 2015.

Gabby Goodwin, a marine ranger for the Department of Conservation, said in her four years of being a ranger she had spotted seals of all kinds visiting Auckland coastlines, including New Zealand fur seals, subantarctic fur seals, elephant seals and leopard seals.

Van Der Linde is asking those who spot the leopard seal to report it to leopardseals.org via email, info@leopardseals.org, with the date, time and location of the sighting noted.

Goodwin is asking people to adhere to the usual DOC guidelines, which include staying at least 20 metres away, keeping dogs and children away, and not disturbing the seal by making loud noises or throwing items.