Rare leopard seal found on Godfreys Beach in Tasmania

Stanley couple Kerry and Alastair Houston, the owners of the Ship Inn, were taking their usual morning dog walk on Godfreys Beach on Tuesday morning with their beloved border collie and bergamasco dogs.

A beautiful Circular Head morning in Stanley, it was pouring rain and the couple were rugged up in wet weather gear, when they noticed the unusual form on the beach ahead of them.

"We have a colony of fur seals here at Stanley so I thought it was one of them at first," Mrs Houston said.

"It was lying still so we thought it may have been dead, and I got quite close to it, around its head.

"Alastair, my husband, suddenly noticed it was breathing and told me to step back.

"We quickly back pedalled just as it opened its mouth. Oh my gosh, the teeth."

Mrs Houston said she then quickly contacted the marine conservation hotline, who advised her it was a leopard seal and that they should stay well clear.

"They got really excited and told us it was probably just resting," she said.

A Tasmanian Department of Environment website informer on leopard seals notes that sightings of the "awesome marine predator" are relatively rare.

"Individuals are seen in our waters and may come ashore to rest," it states.

"Usually people assume the seal is sick or injured, however, often the seal is just resting and will head south after they have concluded their rest."

"Leopard seals breed on the Antarctic pack ice and range from the Antarctic coast to the sub-Antarctic and sub-tropical seas.

"An average of five leopard seals visit the coast of Tasmania each year, but up to 18 have been sighted in one year (1990)."

Individuals should stay well clear of leopard seals and all wild marine animals, and sightings can be reported to the marine conservation hotline on 0427 942 537.

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