Seal beach — Attraction in Kaikōura

In Mark Wood’s video, most of the animals are Sealions, not Seals. The little one moving towards the camera is walking on all four flippers, because Sealions can rotate their rear flippers around. Seals can’t do that, so they pull themselves along with their front flippers, while their rear flippers just drag behind them. So they can’t move very fast on land, while Sealions can actually run!!!

To the left of the little guy, is a seal on the far left and a Sealion on its right. Note the totally different body shapes.

It is unusual to see Sealions on rocks, as they’re usually on sandy beaches. When I visited there last year, I saw the seals first, on the rocks, then walking further around, I saw the Sealions on...

Please keep at least 10 meters away from the seals. I know they’re adorable, but it’s important to respect the signs and stay on the designated paths. I saw people ignoring the warnings, walking right up to the seals, and even disturbing nesting birds—let’s do our part to protect them! 🦭

We visited on a rainy and windy Wednesday, but we loved every second of it! The seals were absolutely adorable, and there were so many of them—including little pups!

The walk takes about 10 minutes and is mostly easy, though some spots can be a bit rough. Be sure to wear the right shoes and dress for...

You can get most of the way to it by car, with loads of parking and a public toilet. Then it's a pleasant stroll along the rockshelf with the occasional seal that you can get (reasonably) close to. And a huge seal colony just around the headland. Was...