This is part 3 of our road trip along ”The Catlins” in the southeast. You can find part 1 about Bluff and Slope point here. You can read the other part about a mirror blank lake and beautiful waterfalls here.
Surat Bay – a beach with cool sea lions
In Surat Bay, in the inlet to the small community of Owaka, is a beach that is popular among sea lions. The beach is really, really long and we go for a stroll on a bit of it to look out for sea lions. A huge fat male and two smaller females is sunbathing in the sand.
It’s important to keep away from wildlife and show them respect. At least 10 meters but preferably even more is recommended for sea lions. This is for their safety as well as your own as a sea lion who gets scared and runs at full speed towards the sea does not stop for anything.
We sit down in the sand and watch these magnificent animals in silence. The cute white-gray female throws sand up her back using her fins. The sand protects her from the strong sun, and also from irritating insects.
When I take my photos, it almost looks like she’s smiling at the camera and looking straight into the lens. Wondering what she thinks? To spend time with animals are always special.
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