Tracking Seals

A tagging project is underway at Seal Rocks. A few seals carry temporary tags that record important data on their health and behaviour. These tags are helping Monash University and Phillip Island Nature Parks understand the effects of plastic debris entanglements on Australian fur seals.

It is estimated that over 300 fur seals get entangled every year in items such as fishing line, fishing nets, balloon ribbons, and plastic packaging materials. Seals are not able to free themselves and these injuries can lead to death.

Help us prevent these entanglements by stopping plastics and fishing line from entering our local waters in the first place.

Our team clean up the jetties on a daily basis, and will be doing an annual Clean Up Day in Cowes on 14th September. Come join us!

You can also get involved by sending in any photos you have of a seal with a white tag on its back, blue or yellow tags on its flippers, and/ or a mark on its rear. Tag #phillipisland.

Photo credit IanR Photography.