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On August 5th, we drove from Kaikoura, NZ to Picton, NZ, from where we took the evening ferry across the Cook Strait to Wellington, NZ. Stops included an air museum, meals, and the Ohau Point Seal Colony.
ZOMG seals.
We were up with the birds in Kaikoura.
Then we drove north along the coast. The seals had not been part of our original itinerary, but several different people in Kaikoura had strongly recommended a stop to visit the colony along the coast at Ohau Point. There is a rocky beach where New Zealand fur seals (actually a kind of sea lion) make there home, and nearby there is a nursery for the seal pups.
So first we saw the adults.
Ohau Point Seal Colony (adults) Flickr set
Then we drove a few hundred yards up the road to the other turnout. A directional sign, an informative display and a muddy track led to one of the most transcendent experiences of my life. I'll let the pictures tell the story.
Ohau Point Seal Colony (juveniles) Flickr set
Yeah. Seals.
Our route of travel the first part of that day. And the overall maps of the trip.
Tomorrow, the air museum, and the rest of the trip to Wellington.
Photo © 2013, Joseph E. Lake, Jr., B. Lake, Lisa Costello and Neil Retz.
This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr., B. Lake, Lisa Costello and Neil Retz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
ZOMG seals.
We were up with the birds in Kaikoura.
Then we drove north along the coast. The seals had not been part of our original itinerary, but several different people in Kaikoura had strongly recommended a stop to visit the colony along the coast at Ohau Point. There is a rocky beach where New Zealand fur seals (actually a kind of sea lion) make there home, and nearby there is a nursery for the seal pups.
So first we saw the adults.
Ohau Point Seal Colony (adults) Flickr set
Then we drove a few hundred yards up the road to the other turnout. A directional sign, an informative display and a muddy track led to one of the most transcendent experiences of my life. I'll let the pictures tell the story.
Ohau Point Seal Colony (juveniles) Flickr set
Yeah. Seals.
Our route of travel the first part of that day. And the overall maps of the trip.
Tomorrow, the air museum, and the rest of the trip to Wellington.
Photo © 2013, Joseph E. Lake, Jr., B. Lake, Lisa Costello and Neil Retz.
This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr., B. Lake, Lisa Costello and Neil Retz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.