Pregnant Dunedin sea lions making way inland prompt road, track closures around region

A playful sea lion got up close and personal with a handful of competitors during 2024 National Surfing Champs at St Clair Beach in Dunedin. Photo / photomarkstevenson.com

Golfers, surfers, motorists, and walkers, are having to keep their wits about them around Dunedin this summer, with a bumper sea lion breeding season causing havoc over the holiday period.

With 34 breeding-age females around Dunedin’s coastline, about 25 pups are expected this season - prompting some restrictions around areas home to the expecting mothers as they head further inland than usual.

Department of Conservation (DoC) southern coastal ranger Jim Fyfe said it was not uncommon for sea lions to come far inland to high elevations, occasionally crossing busy roads and moving through properties to nest, though they were being pushed further inland by the number of males hot on their trails.

Tomahawk-Smaills BeachCare Trust nursery manager Nicole Bezemer said the nursery at Smaills Beach had become a hotspot for sea lion activity including breeding.

Recently, she had been keeping an eye on a two-week-old pup while its mother was out foraging.

A two-week old sea lion pup finding a safe spot in a bucket near Smaills Beach while its mother is out foraging. Photo / Supplied - Nicole Bezemer

“This wee lass is very adventurous and tends to not stay put in the hiding spot chosen by mum. I had come to check in on her and initially could not find her,” she said.

“I was just about to give up when I heard a rather strange noise, a combination of snoring and farting perhaps, followed by a bleat, and there she was - squeezed into a very tight spot, with her head in a bucket. I returned to check on her later that day and she had not budged, she slept with her bucket all day.”

The nursery had been working alongside DoC and the NZ Sea Lion Trust to create new habitats for sea lions, she said.

In November last year, a 17-year-old pregnant sea lion named Gem crossed Taieri Mouth Rd to head inland to find a nesting spot away, causing locals to stop and direct traffic around her.

The walking track at Smaills Beach is closed until the end of the sea lion breeding season in early February, while part of John Wilson Ocean Drive is closed to vehicles until the end of January, said Dunedin City Council Parks and Recreation planning and partnerships manager John Brenkley.

Two sea lions had given birth at the roads’ neighbouring golf course, Chisholm Golf, earlier this month, including, the sea lion known as Hiriwa, who returned for the fourth time to give birth at the golf course.

Dunedin's sea lions like nothing better than lolling near the high-tide mark, lazily eyeing and sniffing passersby. Photo / Supplied

Brenkley said the decision to close the area was aimed at ensuring the safety of both wildlife and the public, and prompted by advice from DoC.

The influx of wildlife was “a good problem to have”, he said.

He said closures are not considered a major disruption, as security measures and gate closures during sea lion activity were in place, and the area was still able to be visited by foot or bicycle.

“The number of places that females have to safely hide away from males is a finite resource, and a lot of those habitats are now being used. So that puts females in the patches that are liked by people,” he said.

Fyfe said after the mothers gave birth, they would often return to sea to forage and feed young pups, leaving them alone and vulnerable, making unleashed pets a particular threat.

Fyfe said it was important people kept their dogs on leashes when in coastal areas, as there was a high chance of dogs picking up the pups’ scents and harassing or potentially attacking them.

The closures of some paths came about due to some people not keeping their pets leashed in past seasons, he said.

“I think the females are working hard enough to remain discreet, the least we can do is take appropriate actions to get pets under control.”

Fyfe said the key message was for people to follow instructions in keeping the animals safe.

“If you see signs asking to slow down, please take notice of them ... Similarly with dog control, if you are asked, please, please do that.”

On Boxing Day last year, a male sea lion, named Huna, was killed after it was hit by a car on Southdale Rd.

* Correction: A previous version of this article contained a photo of a dog off its leash disturbing a sea lion at Smaills Beach. The caption stated it was taken “last week” but the image was taken in 2020.