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New Zealand Sea Lion 01.JPG
WHAT’S KILLING THE SEA-LIONS?
New Zealand sea-lion numbers have plummeted. Is it fishing pressure, climate change, the mysterious disappearance of octopuses, or a deadly new virus?
A female sea lion enters the krill-rich waters of Enderby Island. Research has shown that sea lions in the Auckland Islands spend more time at sea, forage over larger areas and dive deeper than those on mainland New Zealand, an indication of tougher conditions in the more southerly islands. This may put them at greater risk from both natural changes in the environment and indirect fishing pressures. Then there are the predators to contend with -many of the animals at Enderby Island bear the unmistakable scars of a great white shark attack.
Shot on assignment for New Zealand Geographic Issue138 March – April 2016.
Photograph Richard Robinson © 2016
New Zealand sea-lion numbers have plummeted. Is it fishing pressure, climate change, the mysterious disappearance of octopuses, or a deadly new virus?
A female sea lion enters the krill-rich waters of Enderby Island. Research has shown that sea lions in the Auckland Islands spend more time at sea, forage over larger areas and dive deeper than those on mainland New Zealand, an indication of tougher conditions in the more southerly islands. This may put them at greater risk from both natural changes in the environment and indirect fishing pressures. Then there are the predators to contend with -many of the animals at Enderby Island bear the unmistakable scars of a great white shark attack.
Shot on assignment for New Zealand Geographic Issue138 March – April 2016.
Photograph Richard Robinson © 2016
- Copyright
- Richard Robinson © 2016 No Reproduction without prior written permission.
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