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7. sea lion dreams

Fast asleep on a narrow neck of beach. I tiptoed past as far away as I could (about 10m). Luckily I didn't wake him!

 

This is a 20x Zoom lens so not as close as it looks :-)

 

The New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) also known as Hooker's sea lion or whakahao in Māori is a species of sea lion that primarily breeds on New Zealand's Sub-Antarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands and to some extent around the coast of New Zealand's South and Stewart Islands.

 

November to January many male sea lions swim roughly 700km south to the Auckland islands for breeding season. A few remain on Otago and Southland beaches...this was one of them. The males are typically 350-500kg. Females are smaller at 100-160kg.

 

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Uploaded on January 3, 2014
Taken on December 23, 2013