Also called:  Hooker's Sea Lion

Height:    Males:  2 m (7 feet)  Females:  1.5 m (5.5 to 6 feet) the average adult.   

Weight:    Males:  200 kg (990 lbs)  Females:  40 kg (350 lbs) the average adult.

Description: 

• Male:  dark olive brown with large roundish head and short muzzle.  Heavy coarse hair on huge neck and shoulders.
• Female: Cream grayish white with darker areas on face and flippers.
• Both sexes have long abundant whiskers.
• “Eared” seal, visible earflap.
• In the water front flippers are used for propulsion while their hind flippers for steering.
• On land the front flippers can be turned forwards to carry their weight and are used to walk making them agile often galloping along.
• Pup is born with a black coat.

• Pinkish.

• Feed mainly on squid, octopus, fish, lobster, crabs and occasionally penguins.

Rookeries:      

• Breeds on islands and coasts of New Zealand and South Australia.

• Adult males haul ashore and establish territories on the beach.  Males become mature at approximately 10 years of age, females at 5 years.
• Returning females or cows are herded together by the dominant males in harems of approximately 5 to 15 females.
• The males defend their territory and harems from other immature and non-breeding males or bachelors.
• Females produce one black furry pup in late November.
• Pups weigh only 4 kg at birth, grow fast and double their weight in about 10 weeks on their mother’s milk.
• Females locate their pup by vocalizations then confirm the identification with scent cues.
• Pups stay with their mother for almost 1 year.
• Non-breeding gathering of seals is called a herd.

• Killer whales

• Colonies are along the southern and eastern coasts of Australia, on the shores of New Zealand, Tasmania and Chatham Islands