Jo Naylor was staying at the campsite north of the mouth of the Rangitata River late last month when she captured the photo of two seals facing off against a picturesque sunrise.
Department of Conservation marine science adviser Jody Weir said it appeared to be two men in a confrontation.
“Often this attitude is enough to convince someone to back off, but sometimes it can escalate to showing teeth and then biting,” Weir said.
“Since we are not yet in the mating season, these males may be fighting for some other reason, such as over a favorite spot on the beach to take a nap.”
Naylor said she didn't notice any bared or biting teeth, and that the seals appeared to be playing, similar to how puppies play together.
She said it had been a “nice surprise” to see the couple and four others on the beach. She was there around 7:30 am on April 27 and ended up sitting for a few hours watching the group.
They sunbathed and then went into the water to swim. One of them was “very close to the coast and surfing the waves”. Seeing so many had been a highlight, as on past visits she had usually only seen one. “It was really cool to watch.” She used a zoom lens and was about 20 yards away. Weir said there was generally an increase in fur seal sightings near the mouth of the Rangitata River at this time of year.
“This behavior is unusual to see and not unusual at this time of year,” Weir said.
“Fish often congregate at river mouths, so it's a good place to get food outside of the breeding season,” Weir said.
From May to September, young seals and male seals of all ages are found along the coasts of New Zealand as they leave their breeding colonies, explore and rest.
Weir advised anyone watching seals to keep a distance of at least 20 metres. It was important not to disturb them, especially while sleeping, because waking up frequently could stress them out and make them more susceptible to illness.