Harassment may have contributed to leopard seal's death, marine biologist says

Harassment may have contributed to the death of a leopard seal in Wellington that drew hundreds of onlookers, a marine biologist says.The Department of Conservation said the seal was found dead in the Hutt River on Saturday afternoon.The female seal was initially spotted on Petone Beach, where a man threw a dead fish at it, and dogs were seen approaching the 3-metre-long animal.A leopard seal on a Lower Hutt was harassed by dogs and people throwing fish at it.SuppliedMarine biologist Georgia Stewart said there was a chance the harassment played a role in the death, while old age could have also contributed."I think in her last few days, the lack of respect, it floored me. I thought as a city we would never do that."It's just a few people that kind of ruined it for everyone."It is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 (MMPA) to disturb, harass, harm, injure or kill a seal, carrying a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment or a fine of $250,000.DOC had spoken to the man who threw the dead fish at the animal, and he was assisting with enquiries.A fish is thrown at a leopard seal at a Lower Hutt beach.SuppliedOver the weekend, Stewart said she kept an eye on the seal from across the Hutt River bank."We saw her condition decline, we were kind of waiting to see what would happen. We were really hoping that she was okay and just resting but it was really unusual behaviour."She said it was unusual for a leopard seal to move from a beach to a near-by location, saying the animal ordinarily parks in one spot to rest and then continues on their journey.She said the seal looked healthy on Petone Beach, but quickly deteriorated after leaving.Hundreds of spectators visited the seal on the beach. Stewart said even from a safe distance, the attention can drain the animal's energy while they're trying to rest.Seal on Petone Beach, 6 September, 2026"If there are that many people around, she's having to remain vigilant. She's expending energy having to essentially be on guard."She said the seal sat in the Hutt River - barely moving - for hours at a time, a bad sign for her health.She said she would have liked to see DOC monitor the animal around the clock, helping to prevent harassment. However, she appreciated the limited resources available.Stewart - who shares educational videos on social media - said she hoped DOC would increase education around how to respect leopard seals.DOC acting operations manager Olivia Keane said the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) had been informed about the seal's death and would be testing it for H5 bird flu."DOC is working alongside Taranaki Whānui on next steps including the removal and burial to ensure tikanga is observed."