Seal Silly Season: Help Us Keep Young seals safe

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Yep, they’re back and turning up in the weirdest places.
From footpaths to paddocks, suburban driveways to the occasional KFC carpark, young kekeno (New Zealand fur seals) are once again on the move. And as winter settles in, we’re entering peak Seal Silly Season—when juvenile fur seals begin exploring the world beyond their rocky seaside homes. 

This seasonal flurry of furry adventurers might seem funny (we see you, seal at Bunnings Whangārei), but it also highlights the need for smarter planning as our native marine mammals return to historic habitats—including ones that now have busy roads running through them. 

Why we need your sightings 

We have teamed up with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to better understand where fur seals and sea lions are turning up near roads—and why. We’re building a national model of road-related risks for marine mammals, and your sightings can help. 

“We’re asking people to report sightings of seals, fur seals or sea lions on or near roads,” says DOC Technical Advisor – Marine, Jody Weir. “Even a photo (if it’s safe!) can help us map hotspots and better understand the risks. This is citizen science in action.” 

Using your reports, alongside existing road and habitat data, together with Waka Kotahi, we will identify areas where future road upgrades—like the seal-saving guardrails installed in Kaikōura—could help reduce risks for both wildlife and people. 

What is road ecology—and why does it matter? 

This work is part of a growing science field called road ecology. It’s all about how roads affect the movement and behaviour of wildlife. As kekeno and other marine mammals bounce back from the brink and return to our coasts and towns, this research is more important than ever. 

Kaikōura has already shown what’s possible. Targeted upgrades to key hot spots—where young fur seals had been clambering onto State Highway 1—have significantly reduced road risks. But we know this isn’t just a Kaikōura issue. 

The comeback of a taonga species 

Once rare on the mainland, fur seals and sea lions are now slowly reclaiming their old haunts. It’s one of Aotearoa’s great conservation success stories. But with that success comes new responsibility. 

“We’re thrilled to see these taonga species recovering,” says Weir. “But we need to adapt alongside them. That means planning for coexistence, especially during Seal Silly Season.” 

From May to September, young fur seals head off on solo adventures while their mums are out feeding and supporting next year’s pup. It’s a vital stage of development, but it can lead to some strange (and risky) detours. 

How to help: report a sighting 

If you spot a fur seal or sea lion on or near a road—or in an unusual inland spot—let us know! Your sightings will help shape the initial national road risk model and guide future conservation planning. 

Email: seeaseal@doc.govt.nz and report your sighting there.

OR

Call: 0800 DOC HOT (362 468), if you see a sea lion or fur seal in distress, harm’s way or entangled, stranded, or deceased.

Include: 

• Date of sighting 

• Description of location and number of animals 

• GPS coordinates or map pin (if possible) 

• A photo (if safe to take) 

Please also report the same details for any dead marine mammals you find on or near roads, and if you’ve seen them in the same place before, let us know when. 

Reports submitted by mid-June 2025 will help inform the first round of analysis—but we welcome sightings anytime. 

• Never touch or feed a seal—they can bite and it’s against the law. 

• Stay at least 20 metres away. 

• Keep dogs on a leash and children close. 

• Don’t block a seal’s path to the sea. 

• If a seal is injured, being harassed or in danger, call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468). 

Seal sightings that made headlines 

These might sound like the setup to a joke—but they tell a real story about how our marine mammals are adapting to a modern, human-dominated landscape. And we need to do the same, with smarter planning and a bit of help from the public. 

MIL OSI