Australian Fur Seal pup feeding The Australian fur seal is the
world's fourth- rarest seal species. Hunted to the brink of
extinction last century, population recovery has been slow, and
seals are now wholly protected. The Australian fur seal is found
from the coast of NSW, down around Tasmania to Victoria and
South Australia. It is the most common seal in Tasmanian waters
and breeds on small isolated rocks in Bass Strait between
October and January. It also hauls-out at various rocky areas
around the Tasmanian coastline, especially outside the breeding
season when many seals disperse from the breeding colonies. It
isn't always easy to tell the sexes apart, although the adult
males are much bigger animals than adult females, with large
heads and heavily- muscled necks and chests. Adult females
average 125-170 cm in length and weigh between 50-120 kg, Cows
are slender, silvery- grey on the back, with a creamy- yellow
throat and chest, and a chocolate brown belly. New born pups are
almost black on the back and