Nature's Freedom: Sea leopards amongst the ice

Winter hit us two weeks ago. The ZFAs we have shared the island with for the summer departed, and were replaced by tonnes of ice floating around (and denting) the jetty, and becoming grounded on the beach. The island itself has frozen, streams stand still and bogs are hard. It has been snowing almost daily, alternating between blizzards blowing through, to calmly falling powder. As a result, holes between the tussock hide beneath a level layer of snow, and snowdrifts can be as deep as my waist. The frustration of slipping around in the muddy bogs of summer has abated, and is replaced with the fun of flailing around in the snow, until the flailing results in shins hitting against frozen tussock lumps, now balls of ice. I've switched my bodger for a walking pole, and attached chains to the bottom of my boots.

Photo by Jerry Gillham

The fur seals appear to love the snow, and can often be seen sliding around on their belly, digging their nose into snow drifts and rolling around. These playful animals have mostly departed, leaving behind small but dense pockets of seals, usually angry to be disturbed from playing in the snow. The majority have left to forage at sea, due to return in the summer, but it is also a good idea in order to avoid a bigger seal which hunts fur seals : Leopard seals.

Meet Chris.

We had our first leopard seal of winter haul out on the 14th, which means that I have started my daily work until November, walking a 7 km coastal route looking for leopard seals. When I find one, I take photos to identify the individual from distinctive pelage markings. I also collect any scats, and record behaviour including kills.