A New Zealand Fur Seal pup sits on the colorful rocks at the Cape Palliser seal colony in Wairarapa on the North Island of New Zealand waiting patiently for the return of its mother. Its fuzzy coat of fur and sagging dark eyes are enough to melt anybody's heart as they watch this cute pup mingle about on the rocks, slowly growing as the days pass.
The summer months is when a majority of the pups stay atop the rocks at Cape Palliser as they are too young to swim, but that changes quickly as the pup begins to grow. When the pups are born, they weigh between 3.3 and 3.9 kilograms and nurse for the first 9 or 10 months but slowly start to feed on different types of solid food, leading up to the days when they will become totally independent.
The Cape Palliser Seal Colony is the largest on the North Island of New Zealand and watching these animals frolic about in the ocean or lounge on the rocks is a fascinating way to spend the day while visiting Wairarapa on the North Island of New Zealand.
New Zealand Fur Seal, Arctocephalus forsteri, pup at the Cape Palliser Seal colony, Cape Palliser, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand.
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