news@csiro was down on Largs Bay Jetty on the Adelaide coast last night seeing how many blue swimmer crabs were being hauled in when a dark shadow moved in.

Much to the delight of all (including the people with crab pots out) a large seal started a systematic inspection and collection of crabs.

Pictures: Huw Morgan

The seal spent about 5min going around the pots and diving in to them for the crabs. As you can see he pursued the pots to the surface as the crabbers tried in vain to keep their catch.

After about 10min seal was off in the sunset.

Score: Seal 10. Crabbers: 0

He/she was rather large – I would say about nearly 2m long with a “healthy” girth. Anyone able to identify?

0 comments

  1. Crab Blues

    24th February 2012 at 1:22 pm

    This has been known to happen by harbour seals where I’m from, Vancouver. I’d say your picture is a Sea Lion, most likely a California Sea Lion.

    1. Huw Morgan

      24th February 2012 at 1:28 pm

      Thanks for the comment. Yeah, has been identified as a New Zealand Fur Seal. There are plenty around Adelaide and across to Kangaroo Island. A relative of the ones in Vancouver.

  2. Peter Royle

    22nd December 2011 at 12:26 pm

    I do a lot of sailing out from Nth Haven and Outer Harbour (grew up at Largs Bay – just behind the Sailing Club). Over the past 5-10 years the number of seals living on the outer ends of the Outer harbour breakwaters has increased from a couple every now and then – to 15-20 lazing about in the sunshine everytime I sail past. Perhaps they’ve worked out what I’ve known all my life………….life’s worth living on the LeFevre Peninsula 🙂

Commenting on this post has been disabled.