There is a breeding colony of New Zealand Sea Lion/Whakahao (Phocartos hookeri) on the rocks at the northern shore of the entrance to Perverance Harbour, Campbell Island. There are usually a few sub-adult males loitering around the landing area near Beeman base and this can determine to an extent where the Zodiacs can offload.
Like many sub-adult males the sea lion “sammys” have more brawn than brain. They are bit like dopey inquisitive puppies but their size makes them a bit intimidating. Human visitors are cautioned not to approach them but the Sea Lions are free to wander up to humans if they choose.
Despite Campbell Island typically being in the teeth of prevailing westerly fronts I have experienced 2 brief periods of dead calm in Perseverance Harbour. The first was after 2 days of relentless gales that had our ship dragging anchor and as a result spending the night in a holding pattern in the lee of the island rather than at anchor in the harbour. When this front had passed the harbour was a mirror as snow fell on the tops. In the still silence the exhalation of sea lions as they surfaced was the only sound to be heard. On the second occasion we woke on a calm morning that had Antarctic Terns plucking fish from their own reflections and Sea Lions again providing a background of gasps quite appropriate to the dramatic scene.
The still water provided a nice canvas to portray the Sea Lions as they surfaced.
This final image is my favourite. It shows the same animal as the first images in the post. He had settled in his new spot and co-operated nicely for a portrait. He reminds me of a corpulent Victorian gentleman sitting for his portrait so a toned monochrome image seemed to suit best.
Photos with Nikon D850 and Nikkor 24-120mm f4VR or 500mm f5.6PF lens
