Images via Sea Shepherd Australia
For sea lion pups the first few months of their lives are the most dangerous.
The tiny pups are usually born on barren, windswept islands along South Australia’s coastline, enduring months on land before they are strong enough for their first swim in the big wide ocean. These harsh conditions are especially harmful to the vulnerable pup, putting them in serious risk of dying.
Extreme heat is becoming deadly and pups exposed to rising temperatures can push mortality rates in some colonies to around 40 percent.
This is why Sea Shepherd Australia in partnership with the Australian Sea Lion Recovery Foundation, have launched a trial of pup shelters along the Great Australian Bight by campaign leader, Dirk Holman, last December.
Now these tiny pup shelters are proving to be successful after images from cameras have shown the sea lion pups seeking refuge from the heat inside the shelters. Without this vital shade, pups can become dehydrated and heat stress can become fatal.
In a Sea Shepherd Australia blog post Dirk said it was a welcome relief.
“To finally get to this point where we are putting shelters out in ASL breeding colonies across the state,” he said. “It’s been a long and convoluted process, but we now have a set of structures that we have been able to deploy with confidence.”
“We have telemetry enabled cameras to monitor occupancy as well as behaviour around each shelter. The imagery from these cameras has shown pups spending significant amounts of time inside the shelter, which is a great result, considering we have put them out prior to the start of breeding season.
Temperatures inside the shelters can be up to ten degrees cooler, offering much-needed shade and protection, helping pups survive long enough to take their first swim.
The project forms part of a broader push to protect Australian sea lions, a species with a strong South Australian connection. More than 80 per cent of the Australian sea lion population lives in South Australian waters, with the total population estimated at fewer than 12,000 animals.
In the past the beautiful mammal has been hunted for their fur, and exposed to commercial fishery bycatch, resulting in Australian sea lion numbers falling by over 60% in four decades.
For the past 10 years, Sea Shepherd has been on the front lines, successfully helping stop offshore drilling, removing tonnes of marine debris and rescuing marine mammals trapped in discarded fishing gear.
By helping pups survive long enough to reach the water, Sea Shepherd Australia says the shelters are playing an important role in securing the future of the species.
The latest footage is a hopeful sign that a practical, targeted solution could make a real difference for the vulnerable marine mammals.
For more information on the seal pup shelter project visit, https://www.seashepherd.org.au
