New Zealand Sea Lion
    Image: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

    New Zealand Sea Lion

    Phocarctos hookeri

    Marine & Freshwater
    Endangered

    Best Months to Spot

    JFMAMJJASOND

    Most sightings recorded in Apr, Jul, Aug, Sep. Data from GBIF - a global database of verified wildlife observations by researchers and citizen scientists.

    Conservation Status

    Conservation hub
    EN - EndangeredDecreasing population

    Faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

    New Zealand sea lions face threats from disease, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat loss. While conservation efforts are underway, including monitoring and research, the population remains endangered. Responsible safari tourism can help by supporting local conservation initiatives and raising awareness, ensuring these unique marine mammals are protected for future generations.

    The New Zealand sea lion, once known as Hooker's sea lion, and as pakake or whakahao (male) and kake (female) in Māori, is a species of sea lion that is endemic to New Zealand and primarily breeds on New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands, and have in recent years been slowly breeding and recolonising around the coast of New Zealand's South and Stewart islands. The New Zealand sea lion numbers around 12,000 and is one of the world's rarest sea lion species. It is the only species of the genus Phocarctos.

    Description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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