Saving Seals

In late October, a young female Australian fur seal had a lucky escape. The Phillip Island Nature Parks research team successfully removed recreational fishing line wrapped around her body during a routine visit to Seal Rocks. She’s believed to be the same yearling we photographed earlier in May with the entanglement, and she’s expected to recover well.

It’s more than just a feel-good story. This female seal, now free from entanglement, has the potential to grow and breed, playing her part in the health and future of the colony.

Why Seal Entanglements Matter

Sadly, entanglement is far too common at Seal Rocks. Fishing line, nets, balloon ribbons, and plastic packaging are among the biggest threats to seals, especially young ones. Curious and playful by nature, they often end up caught in debris or accidentally getting tangled in fishing line – especially if you are using live bait. As they grow, the entanglements tighten, causing painful injuries that can lead to starvation, restricted movement, and death.

It’s estimated that over 300 seals become entangled every year at Seal Rocks alone. Most cannot escape on their own.

The Challenge of Rescue

Each time Wildlife Coast Cruises visits Seal Rocks, our crew monitors the colony for entangled individuals. We share sightings and images with the research team at the Nature Parks, who visit the site several times a year to attempt rescues. These operations are not easy. Seal Rocks is remote and rugged, the colony is sensitive to disturbance, and the seals are quick to flee into the sea. Even with careful planning, the success rate for captures and releases is around 50%.

Science in Action

Monash University PhD student Adam Yaney-Keller is working to change that. He’s using thermal drones to detect entanglements more efficiently and is studying the impacts—both short-term and long-term—on fur seals caught in debris. Some seals are also fitted with temporary tracking tags, providing valuable data on their health and behaviour as part of a broader research effort by Monash and the Nature Parks.

What We Can Do

While we celebrate this seal’s survival, it’s also a call to action. Our crew run local beach clean-ups and regularly remove fishing line from piers and jetties. But preventing these entanglements starts with all of us.

Here’s how you can help:

• Join a Fishing Clinic to learn to fish the Seal Safe Way (see events coming up soon below!)
• Dispose of fishing gear responsibly and fish away from places where seals breed and play, there are plenty of great places to go fishing
• Join local clean-up efforts
• Avoid using balloon ribbons or plastic packaging
• Report entangled seals to local authorities

By keeping our waters clean and keeping our distance (at least 60m for unpermitted boats at Seal Rocks), we can give more seals the chance this young female now has … to live, thrive, and one day raise pups of her own.

Photo credit: Ruth Reef.