Sunday 30th July 2023

When Mr 88 is not home, the seal pups use the house for shelter

​Hello friends and family
Sunday was cold and wet – 27mm of rain, followed by another 7mm on Monday. All I could get done outside was to pot up a few more plants. It is great having the space freed up by planting trees out, to put the new ones.

The pups are curious, the penguin is dismissive!

​On Tuesday we split into two groups, one for each colony, and finally released the juvenile penguin. There were several pairs of penguins home at both colonies – looking chunky and behaving normally. They are still fishing for longer each day and you will be able to see them on the repaired webcam from about 4 pm.

Mr and Mrs 20 have a day at home

​On Thursday it was very windy, so we just did the monitoring rounds and spent the rest of the day indoors. The juvenile penguin that we had released on Tuesday was back by the landing, looking just fine.

a very disapproving look

​What a contrast for Friday! Robbie and I attended the Hui, which started here and then moved to the Moeraki Marae. It was so pleasant, we lingered out on the point to discus how to better protect the seals from the tourists. At the Hui, I again advocated for marine protection for the penguins. 

A Greys Beaked Whale

Yesterday I was reminded that it is not just penguins for whom this protection is so important, Murray found a dead whale.
It was twice the size of the last one. We think it is an adult, female, Grey Beaked Whale. It was bleeding, but there were no wounds to explain its death.
Have a great week!
Rosalie​