An increase in leopard seals visiting from Antarctica has been reported in SA. Source: Andrew Shiva, Wikimedia Commons
An increased number of leopard seals have been spotted on the coastline of South Australia, some 3,000 kilometres from their home in Antarctica.
A new research paper from South Australia Museum has recorded sightings of 14 leopard seals in SA between November 2017 and November 2022, from Fowler’s Bay to the mouth of the Murray River.
Previous records showed that only 54 leopard seals were recorded up to October 2009, and researchers don’t know why the number has increased in the past five years.
Researchers are relying on the public to report any sightings of leopard seals.
SA Museum honorary research associate Peter Shaughnessy said: “These sightings happen during the latter half of the year, from July through to November, and that’s the time of the year when the pack ice is at its furthest north.”
Dr Shaughnessy said the reason may be that finding food “gets a bit tough for them” further South.
“In the pack ice there’s a couple of hundred thousand of them,” Dr Shaughnessy said.
Dr Shaughnessy said that the leopard seals spotted were all juvenile and were in fair to thin condition.
“Half of that 14 were actually on Eyre Peninsula — Fowlers Bay, Coffin Bay, Sleaford, one in Port Lincoln at Billy Lights, Streaky Bay, Baird Bay and Perlubie just north of Streaky Bay,” Dr Shaughnessy said.
Two deceased leopard seals found near Adelaide showed signs of blunt trauma, with haemorrhaging in their upper body, as if they had been hit by something.
One of these seals was seen behaving in a strange way and convulsing before dying the next day.
Semi-digested smooth toad fish were found in this deceased seal’s stomach, which contain a toxin, and may have contributed to its death.
Toad fish are not a normal part of a leopard seal’s diet.
Dr Shaughnessy has encouraged the public to report sightings of leopard seals but has warned people not to get too close to them.
“They are a bit dangerous,” Dr Shaughnessy said.
“So if people see them on the beach, they shouldn’t approach them too closely because they can be quite agile and they have a pretty vicious reputation.”
“I’ve seen a lot of people in the Antarctic who’ve had bites on the knees.”
