Seals

There are three species of Otariid or eared seal that are found in New Zealand waters: the New Zealand sealion Phocarctos hookeri, the New Zealand furseal Arctocephalus forsteri and the subantarctic furseal Arctocephalus tropicalis.

By far the most commonly encountered is the New Zealand furseal, which has a numerous breeding sites around the coast and offshore islands. The New Zealand sealion primarily breeds in the subantarctic islands, particularly in the Auckland Islands, but also at Campbell Island. Additionally, a small number of pups are born each year in coastal Otago. The subantarctic furseal is an occasional visitor.

There are five secies of Antarctic seals found in New Zealand waters. The southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina, the leopard seal Hydrurga leptonyx, the crabeater seal Lobodon carcinophaga, the Weddell seal Leptonychotes weddellii and the Ross seal Ommatophoca rossii. Most of these are only occasional visitors to the New Zealand mainland, with the most frequently sighted being leopard seals and southern elephant seals.