“They” were seal pups, in a tidal creek near a beach on which surprisingly few humans have walked, but which is “familiar” to millions – perhaps, billions – of human eyes.
The species Arctocephalus forsteri has many “common” names. “Long-nosed fur seal” is now the “preferred” one. (“New Zealand fur seal” is a misnomer. It calls Australia “home”, too)
The pups were typically curious, confident and playful.
However, as they looked up to the humans who were looking down, the pups bore a surprising resemblance to older members of Homo sapiens!
Wharariki Beach is on the northwestern edge of New Zealand’s South Island; it sits within the highly “protected” Farewell Spit Nature Reserve, but is generally accessed via a footpath which winds through an adjoining, privately owned farm.
I took the photo 4.05 pm on 10 July 2010; 20 minutes later we were strolling along one of the world’s most scenic strands.
An earlier post supports/illustrates the above sentence’s claim; it also explains why Wharariki Beach is so “familiar” to so many people who are unaware of its name – let alone its location – and who have never even set foot in the Southern Hemisphere.
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