Tomahawk Beach and Smaills Beach                                                                                    

1 February - Mr. Mochi, a young southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), played in the waterway between the Tomahawk Lagoon and Tomahawk Beach to the amusement of people nearby including on the Tomahawk Road bridge.  Mr. Mochi has been around Smails and Tomahawk beaches for about four weeks.  Elephant seals are not often seen in Otago waters; their breeding ground and habitat is sub Antarctic and Antarctic islands and waters.   The dark colour is due to the fact that the animal has recently moulted; elephant seals undergo what is called a "catastrophic moult," where patches of skin and fur peel off.  Elephant seals are very large; a woman who has been keeping an eye on him said Mr. Mochi weighs an estimated 600 kg; they can grow to 3,600 kg.
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A New Zealand sea lion | pakake (Phocarctos hookeri) and her two pups have conveniently set up in the middle of a track to Tomahawk Beach.
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31 January - New Zealand sea lion | pakake at rest.
1 February - New Zealand sea lion | pakake on Smaills Beach.  Distinguishing characteristics of these animals are the ear flaps and long foreflippers which enable it to walk.  The sea lion, 13VP, is a yearling female born at Boulder Beach; it has a tag on each foreflipper.  In addition to tags, a bit of skin is clipped off a couple of sea lions' toes to help with identification.  Jim Fyfe, who retired as a DOC ranger in 2025, says the New Zealand sea lion population appears to be on the verge of exponential growth.
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