Pakake – seals, or pinnipeds,are made up of three families:
- Eared seals (otariidae – 14 species)
- True seals (phocidae – 19 species)
- Walrus (odobenidae – 1 species)
The basic differences between the two main families are: the eared seals have small external ear flaps, can walk on their flippers with the body clear of the ground, and use the front flippers for swimming; the true seals have no external ear flaps, rely mainly on body undulations for terrestrial movement and use the back flippers for swimming. New Zealand has 4 species seen on the mainland: two eared seals (New Zealand sea lion, New Zealand fur seal) and two true seals (Southern elephant seal, Leopard seal). There are a further three true seals (Crabeater seal, Ross seal, Weddell seal) found in Antarctica which New Zealand governs a part of. Here we provide some basic facts and some photos of the four species seen on the mainland.
Seal species
- Kekeno – New Zealand fur seal – Arctocephalus forsteri
- Whakahao (male) or Kaki (female) – New Zealand sea lion – Phocarctos hookeri
- Ihupuku – Southern elephant seal – Mirounga leonina
- Rapoka – Leopard seal – Hydrurga leptonyx
Differences between fur seals and sea lions
| Sea lions | Fur seals |
|---|---|
| Blunt nose | Pointed nose |
| Larger (max 400kg) | Smaller (max 200kg) |
| Generally unafraid of people | Generally afraid of people (except territorial breeding males and may also become habituated) |
| Hind flippers move independently | Hind flippers move together |
| Coarser, less dense hair | Finer, denser hair |
| Marked colour variation between the sexes | Little colour variation between the sexes |
| Prefer sandy beaches | Prefer rocky shores |
| Adult males have mane of longer hair around neck and chest | Adult males have no mane |
| Feed over continental shelf | Feed at edge of continental shelf or beyond |