What to expect from 'seal silly season'

Vomiting in public. Snoozing in the middle of busy roads. Hanging out in KFC car parks, and waking up on strangers' couches.

That might sound like the kind of behaviour you'd associate with delinquent youth, but those are in fact all activities that perfectly normal juvenile seals get up to at this time of year.

Dr Jody Weir, a marine science adviser for the Department of Conservation, said the period from June to September was commonly referred to as "seal silly season".

That was because it was the time young seals and sea lions started to explore their environment, and often turned up in unexpected places.

Despite being marine mammals, New Zealand fur seals, or kekeno, spent a lot of time on land, typically resting but occasionally exploring.

Rocky shores were their preferred habitat but their natural curiosity could lead them kilometres inland.

It was common to find them on roads, in backyards, or sometimes even on living room sofas, Weir said.

Last year, seals even turned up in the KFC car park in Papakura and a Bunnings hardware store in Whangārei.

Usually seals were left to return to the water in their own time, but in those cases DOC rangers intervened and returned the animals to their natural environment.

"It sometimes starts with curiosity, or they're just looking for a place to rest. We often see them get under cars, because it's a nice, quiet, sheltered place for them to have a nap," Weir said.

"It could also be an interesting smell that they're following. They're still dependent on their mothers so they're not looking for food. It's more just exploration. And, just like other young mammals, including people, at that age we're just more curious or keen to venture further. And in some situations, they end up just getting lost, or going a little bit further than they anticipated."

Weir said most seals people encountered were healthy, and behaviour such as regurgitating, sneezing, coughing or what looked like crying were normal.

"People should enjoy observing them from a distance and contact DOC only if they're in immediate danger, such as being on a road, severely injured, or tangled in debris."

Unfortunately, Weir said the past year had been tough for New Zealand's fur seals, with more than 1000 deaths documented along the Kaikōura coast alone.

The deaths were due to starvation, as evidenced by the seals' emaciated state and empty stomachs.

Weir said climate change was a likely contributor to food scarcity.

"We all know the climate is changing, particularly with the heating of the oceans and sea surface temperatures on the rise, and that's going to cause changes in where their prey are located. So their food might shift lower down in the water column, or go further off to sea, and that might just make it a bit too far away for an individual to keep going back and forth and feeding a pup."

Weir said kekeno were almost wiped out during the sealing era but had been starting to make a comeback, though they were still nowhere near their historical numbers.

"There's lots of countries where you'd never see any kind of kind of seal, so we are very fortunate here in New Zealand. It's quite a joy that we're able to see them as we do."

Seal tips

• Never touch, handle, or feed a seal, because they can be aggressive if they feel threatened. It's also a breach of the Marine Mammals Protection Act.
• Maintain a distance of at least 20 metres from kekeno if possible and avoid getting between the seal and the sea.
• Give seals space if encountered on or near a beach.
• Always keep dogs on a leash and away from seals.
• Ensure small children are at a safe distance and under control when watching seals.
• If you see a seal that's badly injured, being harassed or in danger, call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).