Leopard seal spotted

Don Farmer | 4th August 2009

After 20 years as a commercial fisherman, Masterton's Richard Kibblewhite probably had just cause to think he had seen it all, that is until Friday morning at Flat Point.

Heeding the shouts of his crewmen just before launching Splashzone 2, Richard's attention was drawn to an unusual sea creature basking on the beach.

It turned out to be a leopard seal, an extremely rare visitor to these parts, whose natural habitat is the ice flows of Antarctica in summer and the icy continent's offshore islands in winter.

"He or she was a long way from home."

Richard, who basically goes fishing every day of his life - weather permitting, had never seen a leopard seal before but he instantly recognised it by its distinctive spotted markings and formidable jaws.

Normally seal sightings on the Wairarapa coast are restricted to fur seals.

Richard said the leopard seal was friendly enough although he and his crew didn't try to crowd it, and when it had seen enough of our shores it "caterpillared" itself back into the surf and was last seen making its way towards Chile.

Apparently, leopard seals are quite friendly to humans and occasionally make it as far from home as the southern coasts of Australia, New Zealand and South America.

Richard said he has started to catalogue sightings of coastal wildlife, especially the various species of albatross, killer whales and now leopard seals.

Very commonly seen off Flat Point are dolphins.

"We see thousands of them.

"There is never a day that goes by without us seeing many, many dolphins."