Owha the leopard seal relaxing at Urquharts Bay. Photo/Sean McCullough
Owha the leopard seal relaxing at Urquharts Bay. Photo/Sean McCullough
A marine expert is unsure why Owha the 300kg leopard seal has traded her home territory of Antarctica for the winterless North.
But an abundant supply of fish and warmer waters must surely be more enticing than the alternative.
Owha has been staying in New Zealand since at least 2015, when she was first sighted at the mouth of the Ruakaka River, south of Whangarei.
She headed south to Auckland for a few years but has returned and sought out a coastal residence at Tutukaka Harbour in March this year.
Over the past few weeks 3m-long Owha has decided Whangarei Harbour has plenty to offer and has been spotted at Marsden Cove Marina, McLeod Bay and Urquharts Bay on Thursday morning.
While in Auckland, local hapu Ngati Whatua ki Orakei named her "He owha nā ōku tūpuna", or Owha for short, meaning treasured gift from our ancestors.
Leopard seals are a protected species normally found in Antarctica. The number of leopard seals spending time in New Zealand waters is rising.
In the past two years, Department of Conservation has received almost 100 reports of leopard seals at sites around New Zealand. But it is unusual for them to stay as long as Owha.
DoC science adviser for marine species Laura Boren said it was not uncommon for leopard seals to come to the South Island of New Zealand for about a month to moult and then return south.
Owha for some reason had chosen to stay.
"We've never had something like this. The reason why is anyone's guess."
Ms Boren was not sure of Owha's age or whether she had bred before coming to New Zealand.
"It seems she has had a taste of living in Northland and she doesn't have a strong pull to Antarctica."
She said it was an excellent opportunity for Northlanders to see an animal they would not normally.
However, that came with a warning. While Owha might look cumbersome she had a very flexible spine which allowed her to lift up high with her chest and appear very large.
Leopard seals were known to be aggressive when threatened and could move surprisingly quickly on land and seriously injure people or animals who approached them.
DoC urged people to stay at least 20m away and to keep dogs on a leash.
"If people respect her space there's no reason why she won't stay around," Ms Boren said.
