nz sea lion habitat

The New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri), also known as Hooker's sea lion, and whakahao in Māori, is a species of sea lion that primarily breeds on New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands and to some extent around the coast of New Zealand's South and Stewart islands. Found in: Most of the population at Auckland and Campbell subantarctic islands. Since 1993, there has been evidence for recolonisation of mainland New Zealand. The subantarctic squid trawl fishery has historically captured the largest number of sea lions, but efforts have been made to reduce the frequency of incidental captures. Females give birth to a single pup every 1–2 years. They are lighter in colour, predominantly creamy grey with darker pigmentation around their flippers. In 1993, a female sea lion nicknamed 'Mum' had her pup on an Otago Peninsula beach. to mid-January) … Sea lions, with three groups of pinnipeds, have multiple breeding methods and habits over their families but they remain relatively universal. Mating occurs from mid-November to mid-January and births occur a year later. Females are a tad tinier, with 180 to 200 centimeters (5.9 to 6.6 feet) of length. Females form into harems of up to 25 and are attended by a single dominant bull. Haul-out (leaving the water to go on land) sites are more widespread and extend from Macquarie Island to the South Island. The New Zealand sea lion is classified as 'Endangered' (EN) and projected in decline by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Dundas Island, with around 1200–1700 pups born every year since 2005, Enderby Island, with a few hundred pups a year. The New Zealand sea lion (also known as the Hooker's sea lion) is a pinniped otariid endemic to New Zealand. The New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is a threatened endemic species, with only three breeding colonies in the sub-Antarctic islands. Great white sharks are the only known predator of New Zealand sea lions. Yet the coast that the sea lion has returned to only has fragmented and unevenly distributed potential habitats due to coastal urbanisation and development. New Zealand sea lions are endangered and one of the rarest sea lion species in the world.” The harbour city, home to 120,000 people, regularly shuts … New Zealand sea lions are not migratory, although males disperse widely over their range during the non-breeding season. Figure of Eight Island, with around 60 pups born every year since 2005. These challenges result in aggressive displays and fighting as the dominant bull defends his harem. While mothers are at sea feeding, their pups are alone. A thick pelt of fur envelopes their body and the male acquires an impressive mane around his neck as he matures. Their abundance and haul-out behavior have a direct effect on their on land breeding activity. It was named 'Hooker's sea lion after Sir Joseph Hooker, a botanist with a British Antarctic expedition which arrived in the Aucklands in 1844. Pup production at their main breeding area (Auckland Islands) declined by 50% in the last 12 years. They have sexual dimorphism, ie males and females are physically different. New Zealand Fur Seal/Kekeno & New Zealand sea lion / rāpoka / whakahao. both sexes are dark brown with paler areas around the head. Sea-lions are great ocean travellers and pups tagged in the Auckland Islands regularly show up as adults around the New Zealand mainland, more than 450 kilometres away. The extension of the New Zealand sea lion's range by recolonisation of the mainland is essential to the long term survival of the species. Here are 10 facts about these native marine mammals. Adult male sea lions prey on Antarctic, subantarctic and New Zealand fur seal pups and juveniles, and occasionally penguins. Learn how to identify the New Zealand sea lion, behave safely around them and report your sighting. This is natural, but they are particularly vulnerable to disturbance during these periods, so keep your distance. The two known breeding colonies at Campbell Island (Davis Point and Paradise Point) represent around 30% of the New Zealand sea lion population. Emerging breeding locations at Stewart Island/Rakiura, Otago and Southland regions. Prior to the arrival of people to these amazing islands, there were many types of large animals such as moa, haast eagles, and even lots of … New Zealand Sea Lions can be found along the coasts of the southern part of the South Island. On average, sea lions live about 20 years, but some have been known to live up to 30 years or more. Department of Conservation | Te Papa Atawhai, https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/seals/new-zealand-sea-lion/species/biology/. Three lives in one go. ON-LAND HABITAT OF NEW ZEALAND SEA LIONS 3 Figure 1. A male and female South American sea lion / Source 12. One of the rarest species of sea lions can be found in New Zealand, and more specifically on New Zealand’s subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands. At the Auckland Islands, sea lions of various age classes (Leung et al. Conservation Status (NZTCS): Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable. Ngāi Tahu will be active in achieving the vision of the threat management plan for New Zealand sea lion, a taonga species. New Zealand sea lions primarily inhabit the sub-Antarctic islands and surrounding waters, south of New Zealand, although there are also small colonies found on Stewart Island and along the southeast coast of … New Zealand sea lions are not migratory, although males disperse widely over their range during the non-breeding season. You will only find the New Zealand Sea Lion around this area. In 1993, a female named “Mum” hauled up at Taieri Mouth to give birth to her pup, the first recorded sea-lion birth on the mainland since the days of sealing. Bycatch of NZ sea lions in the Southern Arrow squid trawl fishery has been historically biased towards females, and resource limitation from competition with this fishery may also be influencing female fecundity. The progressive recolonisation of the mainland also includes Stewart Island/Rakiura, where a growing colony has being studied since 2011. An “eared” seal which forms breeding colonies in New Zealand and its Subantarctic islands, the coasts and islands off southern Australia including Macquarie Island. The New Zealand sea lion (NZ sea lion), Phocarctos hookeri, is New Zealand’s only endemic pinniped, and one of the worlds rarest otariids. Japanese Sea Lion – the only way you will get to see a Japanese Sea Lion is in books, pictures, or online. A female sea lion can weigh up to 400 pounds and be 6 feet long. The New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is a threatened endemic species, with only three breeding colonies in the sub-Antarctic islands.Since 1993, there has been evidence for recolonisation of mainland New Zealand. Habitat New Zealand sea lions are comfortable in a wide range of habitats, from 400 m above sea level through the hills, forests, and fields of the local islands to dives of up to 600 m below sea level. However, it also means we will be increasingly sharing our beaches with sea lions, and we must take care not to disturb resting individuals and pups. Hooker's sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is endemic to New Zealand and can be found mainly on the Subantarctic Islands. Pupping begins in early December and ends by mid-January, when the remaining bulls disperse and the harems break up. NZ SEA LION. The New Zealand sea lion is one of the rarest sea lions in the world. The Breeding occurs over the summer months and breeding colonies occupy the same sites every year. This female-bias in fishery interactions appears to be a result of sex differences in habitat use among adult NZ sea lions. Many killed are female, likely to have a nursing pup waiting back onshore, and nearly always pregnant. Other males remain around the periphery and occasionally challenge the dominant bull. New Zealand sea lion / rāpoka / whakahao. The Hookerâs sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is classified as a threatened species and is one of the rarest species of sea lion in the world (Wilkinson, Burgess & Cawthorn 2001). A range of threats contribute to the decline of the New Zealand sea lion. The New Zealand sea lion numbers around 10,000 and is perhaps the world's rarest sea lion species. 2012; 2013) and most commonly adult females forage across the continental shelf and shelf edges in the area north and northeast of Enderby Island (Chilvers et al. The age of maturity for females is 3–4 years and the gestation period around 10 months. The main fisheries that operate within the New Zealand sea lion’s subantarctic foraging range are the subantarctic squid, the scampi trawl fisheries, and the southern blue whiting fishery. The main breeding grounds are in the Auckland Islands. New Zealand Sea Lions once lived around the entire coastline of New Zealand, but the population was decimated by excessive and unsustainable hunting for food and fur. In the last ten years, more than 700 sea lions are thought to have been killed in the Subantarctic squid trawl fishery. Population: About 12,000Conservation status: Nationally VulnerableThreat status: Endemic species, main breeding colony in declineFound in: Most of the population at Auckland and Campbell subantarctic islands. They are the only species of the genus Phocarctos. Females dive up to 129 m for about 3.9 minutes with some dive depths over 600 m for as long as 14.5 minutes. The population at these islands is allocated in three different breeding colonies: Campbell Island was also targeted historically by sealers and is still the biggest breeding area after the Auckland Islands. 2013). Non-breeding animals are also known from New South Wales, Queensland and New Caledonia. Nowadays, almost all new pups in Otago peninsula are related to 'Mum'. Males typically weigh between 320 and 450 kilograms (710 and 990 pounds) and are between 240 and 350 centimeters (7.9 and 11.5 feet) long. They can also be spotted on the beaches of New Zeland’s South and Stewart Islands. 1. You will also find many Seals, as well as The New Zealand Sea Lion (formerly known as the Hooker's Sea Lion), one of the rarest seal species in the world, the occasional Sea Elephant and the Stewart Island Shags in their natural habitat. Otariids, or eared sea lions, raise their young, mate, and rest in more earthly land or ice habitats. New Zealand sea lions are one of the rarest sea lion species in the world and are only found in New Zealand. Emerging breeding locations at Stewart Island/Rakiura, Otago and Southland regionsThreats: Diseases, fisheries interactions, pup mortality, food availability, human impacts, New Zealand sea lion pup on Mount Lyall, Campbell Island Image: Andrew Maloney ©, New Zealand sea lion resting Image: Sabine Bernert ©, New Zealand sea lions in the Catlins Image: Sabine Bernert ©, New Zealand sea lions Image: Sabine Bernert ©, New Zealand sea lion Image: Sabine Bernert ©, Department of Conservation | Te Papa Atawhai, https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/seals/new-zealand-sea-lion/. Yet, the majority of individuals prefer to remain on sandy beaches and hunt primarily at depths no greater than 200 m below sea level. The average estimated reproductive rate of adult female New Zealand sea lions is 65% per year. Emerging breeding locations at Stewart Island/Rakiura, Otago and Southland regions. A five-year programme of research, management and monitoring is being carried out to stabilise and grow the New Zealand sea lion population. At sea New Zealand sea lion are active divers that forage on both benthic (deep sea layer) and pelagic (upper sea layer) prey. Find out about the New Zealand sea lion's threatened history and special features. New Zealand sea lions breed and haul out on a diverse range of terrestrial habitats, including sandy beaches, reef flats, grass and herb fields, dense bush and forests, and solid bedrock. brown to black in colour with well-developed manes reaching to the shoulders. New Zealand Sea Lions – New Zealand sea lions are on the larger side of the species. Yet the coast that the sea lion has returned to only has fragmented and unevenly distributed potential habitats due to coastal urbanisation and development. The New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is distinguished from other New Zealand otariids by their blunt nose and short whiskers. Males are sexually mature when 5 years old, but they can't sire their first pup until they are strong enough to hold their own territory, at about 8-9 years old. Heavily depleted first by the Maori and later by European settlers, Hooker’s Sea Lion was considered extinct on the New Zealand mainland by the 1800’s. The New Zealand sea lions (formerly called Hooker’s sea lions), can be seen at Waipapa Point, Surat Bay and Cannibal Bay. New Zealand sea lions are one of the rarest sea lion species in the world and are only found in New Zealand. In the winter time most of the males will be found around Catlin Island. New Zealand sea lions eat a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate prey. Marine Protected Areas research programme, Biodiversity inventory and monitoring toolbox. Pups are born on the breeding beach but are moved by their mothers into nearby vegetation when they reach about 6 weeks old. The New Zealand sea lion. They include the Auckland Islands, Enderby Island, and Dundas Island. Pups are dependent on their mothers for milk and protection for the first year of their lives. The location was South Island, New Zealand and the animal that lay before us was the New Zealand Sea Lion, which is genetically related to bears. They no longer exist which is very sad to say. Sea Lions are found in all sorts of waters except the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The females then spend the next year alternating between foraging trips to sea and periods on land suckling their pups. NZ Status: Endemic (only found in NZ) Population: About 12,000. Mean adult survival is 0.81 and females have been recorded living to 28 years. The main threats are disease and fisheries. California sea lions, the most commonly known species, are found from Southern Alaska, all the way to Central Mexico. This five-year Threat Management Plan will guide the recovery of the nationally critical New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka. The sea lions like sandy beaches, of which there are plenty, but 95% of the population breeds on three beaches in the Auckland Islands. New Zealand sea lions used to live on beaches right around the coast from the north of the North Island down to the Subantarctic Islands. Juvenile males can resemble adult females in colour and size. Marine Protected Areas research programme, Biodiversity inventory and monitoring toolbox. The waters surrounding the Auckland and Campbell Islands provide key foraging habitat for New Zealand sea lions. The New Zealand Fur Seal is sometimes mistaken for its larger neighbour the New Zealand Sea Lion, but there are some distinct differences that will help you identify which is which:. Most New Zealand sealions live and breed in the sub-Antarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands where they number about 12,000, the fewer than 200 on the mainland are all found on the south east coast. The Auckland Islands are the main breeding areas with around 68% of the entire population. Frequently eaten species include opalfish, Munida, hoki, oblique-banded rattail, salps, octopus, squid, and crustaceans. Credit: Craig McKenzie. It is classified as ‘Threatened’ based primarily on the low number of breeding sites and restricted distribution. There are some common locations where you will find them here. New Zealand sea lion breeding areas (Campbell Island, Figure of Eight Island, and North Auckland Islands), and sites being recolonized by this species (Catlins and Otago Peninsula). They breed mainly on Habitat: Sandy beaches and rocks. Found: Auckland and Campbell subantarctic islands. Both Māori and early European settlers hunted sea lions for their fur and meat, but the population of New Zealand sea lions was decimated when commercial sealers turned their attention to the NZ coast The New Zealand sea lion is an endemic species found only around the mainland and subantarctic islands of New Zealand. Sea lions also haul-out on the southern parts of the mainland where colonies are being formed, and they have been seen in different spots generally around the South Island. A small number breed on Campbell Island, the Snares Islands and in isolated cases on the Otago coastline. This was the first sea lion born on the mainland in over 100 years. Pups form pods near the periphery of harems for warmth and protection while their mothers are at sea. Likewise, the New Zealand Sea Lion finds its home around the waters of New Zealand. Some species live in sub arctic regions while others prefer warmer climates such as the Californian Sea Lion. 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