Kayaking this week with our lovely guests from the U.K. Jill and Alan in the Wairau Lagoon, a typically shallow tidal wetland, we suddenly realised that we were not alone! No more than ten metres away, up pops the head of a young male leopard seal. This rarely seen marine mammal has recently taken up residence in the lagoon.
We stayed very still so as not to frighten or challenge the seal, waiting for him to retreat as he has done in the past on earlier encounters.
This time he seemed very interested in us and watched us for several minutes, we were blocked from backing away by the shallow lagoon floor.
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