End of era as Napier seals leave for Aussie

The three remaining Marineland seals will leave Napier for their new homes on Tuesday.

New Zealand fur seals Molly, Mr Bo and Pania will go to zoos in Australia.

It will be the end of an era for the facility, but Tourism Services manager Neil Fergus said they were going to fantastic zoos and would be well looked after.

Molly and Mr Bo are going to Sea World on the Gold Coast, and Pania to Melbourne Zoo.

The seals will be transported by Mainfreight from the Marine Parade facility to Hawke's Bay airport on Tuesday night. They will then be loaded on to a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Hercules in the early hours of Wednesday morning for Auckland International Airport, where they will be transferred on to commercial Air New Zealand flights for Australia later that morning.

Because commercial flights out of Napier did not have the capacity to carry the seals, the RNZAF agreed to step in.

"We're aware, however, the Hercules are currently being used in the relief effort in Vanuatu and so we've made a contingency plan to transport the seals by road if necessary," Mr Fergus said.

The seals will be accompanied by Marineland's vet Dr Michael Lintott, as well as three keepers.