Fur Seal (Kekeno) Facts

Kaikoura, July 21st 2015

Don't drive further or you'll drop into the ocean. Welcome to the peninsula.

That four and a half kilometer walk finally paid off. Therefore, pardon me if I bore you with too many fur seals. However! Do bear in mind, these are New Zealand fur seals. Meaning, it's (only) in New Zealand where you can see them. Some are in Southern Australian Coast also, but that's all -- in the whole world. The other fur seals are of the species Arctocephalus forsteri or Kekeno, as the Maori name them.

There were a lot more seals than I expected to see.

The seal is waving hello at me! See?

At first I couldn't stop wondering why these seals don't just colonize on the beach in front of my hostel? Why do they have to make people -- make me -- walk 4.5 kilometers along the coast line? If they can after all nap on the parking lot, why can't they sunbathe somewhere closer to the town center? Why of all the beaches along this long Kaikoura coastline, these Kekeno chose to be on the peninsula? Do fur seals prefer a peninsula? If so, why? All these questions came to an end when I read New Zealand's Department of Conservation's site. I quote:

In New Zealand, fur seals also tend to be found on Rocky shorelines, whereas sea lions prefer sandy beaches.

I see. So it's because of the rocks, not merely the peninsula.

Oh ya, why compare with sea lions? Because,

They are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and share with them external ears (pinnae), relatively long and muscular foreflippers, and the ability to walk on all fours.

says Wikipedia about fur seals.

Indeed, they walk on all fours. In Kaikoura, they walk crossing the street back and forth.

Our muscular foreflippers. See? We can climb up stairs, too, you know.

So muscular are our flippers, that we do ballet as well.

Kekeno fact: We fight, but joyfully. It's normal for us.

We occasionaly cry. But that's also normal. The clever people call it "natural moisture secretions".

Sometimes we become immobile while blocking your pathway. That's normal.

Nobody wakes me up, please. NZ is mine.

This seal is the same as the one above. When I returned to this spot about half an hour later, I saw it had moved a bit, now with its head hanging on the brim of the wooden pathway.

Another adult seal blocking the pathway, but in a different style.

The peninsula and above.

I'd like to bring your attention to that little red spot on the left between the leaves. Got it? And that greyish land on the background, is actually the seashore. Now can you imagine how high these seals have climbed?

Hmmm... you don't believe it do you?

We are seals. We never lie, you know.

That's why you seal your love, not human your love. :D