"There's a really large bank on the walkway side but we have set up a cordon and we are monitoring it," he said.
Mr Ratana said he was hopeful DoC staff would not have to intervene and that the seal would head back out to sea on its own.
"He seems pretty relaxed. We hope it will have rested and will go back out on an out-going tide."
He said all seals had the potential to be danger and there was nothing about this particular seal to suggest it was more dangerous than others.
"That's why we advise people to keep a large berth around them."
He said shooting the seal would occur only if a person was in "absolute danger".
New Plymouth Mayor Andrew Judd said the walkway where the attack occurred was very popular and the connection to nature was what made it special.
He said putting up fences to keep wildlife away would spoil the walkway.
"We'll be looking at education to tell people what to do if they do come in to contact with seals and wildlife," he said.
Signs could be a possibility as long as they weren't intrusive, Mr Judd said.
Belt Road Seaside Holiday Park co-manager Jackie Liedenberg expressed frustration yesterday, saying warnings were not acted on quickly enough.
She said she called the Department of Conservation 15 minutes before the attack after walkers raised concerns about the animal moving up from the beach.
By the time Ms Liedenberg made her next call, the man was already injured.
Ms Liedenberg said today it was plain DoC had made the attack a priority.
"It's definitely positive they're following up on it," she said.
