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Kōrero: Seals

Distribution of seals in New Zealand

Choose layer:

  • NZ fur seal

  • NZ sea lion

  • Southern elephant seal

  • Leopard seal

This map shows regular breeding and haul-out sites, but fur seals also come ashore anywhere along the coast near feeding grounds.

Most New Zealand sea lion pups are born on the Auckland Islands. Some have been reported on southern South Island coasts, and on Stewart Island.

Southern elephant seals breed on the Antipodes Islands and Campbell Island, where the population declined by over 95% from 1945 to 1990. The main breeding population in the region is on Macquarie Island (Australian territory). Occasionally pups are born on the South Island coast.

Leopard seals spend summer close to the Antarctic pack ice, but in winter many travel north. Some young individuals visit New Zealand’s subantarctic islands, the South Island and lower North Island.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Lloyd Spencer Davis, Seals – New Zealand sea lion, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/interactive/6187/distribution-of-seals-in-new-zealand (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Lloyd Spencer Davis, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.

Comments

Mark Pakenham
28 August 2023
hi i recently returned from fishing and while heading into wangaroa harbour back to my mooring in a bay known as the haystack i noticed an odd black shape floating about 50 metres off shore i went over and was really suprised to come within a metre of a seal at first i thought it was injured but it was happily floating on its back relaxing.according to a local fisherman in 40 years he had never come across a seal in this area i hope you find this interesting
tricia lambert
10 February 2012
Greetings I notice that your map does not show the seals that haul out on the Mahia peninsula. I last walked around to see them(on the Northern side) about five years ago. They were on the offshore rocks and the adjacent land, among the cows! About 150 as i recall. Regards Trish Lambert.