Long-nosed Fur Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Sea Mammals · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. No fur seal dives deeper or longer. Males can stay under for about 15 minutes and reach some 380 m down.
2. When it is in a hurry at sea, it leaps clear of the water as it swims, just like a porpoise.
3. A mother calls her pup with a high-pitched wail. When they meet, she sniffs it to be sure it is really hers.
4. While mums are out fishing, pups about 21 days old gather in small groups, a bit like a seal playgroup.
5. It goes by many names. In New Zealand's Māori language it is called kekeno.

The quiz

1. How long can a male long-nosed fur seal stay underwater?

• About 30 seconds
• About 15 minutes (correct)
• About 2 hours
• A whole day

Males can dive for about 15 minutes, down to about 380 m.

2. What does it do when travelling fast at sea?

• Rides on floating logs
• Swims on its back
• Leaps out of the water like a porpoise (correct)
• Holds on to whales

It can porpoise out of the water when moving quickly.

3. How does a mother check that a pup is her own?

• By its smell (correct)
• By the colour of its eyes
• By counting its whiskers
• By its size

After calling, she uses smell to confirm the pup is hers.

4. What do pups about 21 days old do while their mothers are away?

• Swim out to sea alone
• Hide in caves alone
• Follow the males
• Gather in little groups (correct)

Young pups have been seen gathering in little pods.

5. What is this seal called in the Māori language?

• Kiwi
• Kekeno (correct)
• Kea
• Tui

Kekeno is its name in the Māori language.

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