New Zealand Sea Lion

Witnessing wildlife in their natural habitat brings me so much joy!

Pictured are the New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka/whakahao. After New Zealand became inhabited, the New Zealand sea lion were almost wiped out due to over hunting. Until 1994, for at least 300 years prior no pup births were recorded anywhere on mainland New Zealand. They have been slowly returning from New Zealand’s subantarctic region.