Seal Bay Conservation Park

Now of course I may be a tad biased but I can honestly say that Seal Bay is by far the best place to visit on the entire island.

This beautifully located beach on the south coast hosts one of the most wonderful creatures in the world – the Australian Sea Lion. With a population of approx. 14,000 and a species only endemic to Australia, Seal Bay provides the incredible opportunity to view a wild animal within its natural environment. Hosting a colony of 1,000 seals the national park enables visitors to take a guided tour on the very same beach as the sea lions and witness within 10metres their fantastic behaviour and interactions.

I have been so fortunate to be offered the chance to work at this fantastic place and experience not only a set of wonderful animals but also get to work with a set of wonderful people.  With the park offering 45 minute guided tours throughout day I can assure you that each guide provides their own unique tour full of fascinating facts and information. Every member of the Seal Bay team has such enthusiasm and respect for these animals. Their eagerness to continue to learn about the creatures they work with enables them to pretty much answer any question you throw at them.   

The Sea Lions themselves are such an incredible animal, one which continues to surprise and enthral you. Everyday that I have visited the beach I have seen something new from these gorgeous creatures.  Whether it be a seal body-boarding a wave on the beach, the boys puffing they chests up to one another (much like what you may see in the local pub) or a pup snuggling up to mum for warmth – they are an animal that constantly provide a great experience and wealth of wonderful photo opportunities.  

Within my time at Seal Bay so far, I have been so lucky to not only experience guided tours and the general inner workings of the park but have also been taken to areas of the beach that very few have been given the chance to do. One such trip was to assist in the counting of the colony and although this pushed fitness levels to places they had never been pushed before I was able to view even more stunning examples of the seals in their natural environment.

I can safely say that I 100% do not want to leave and am ignoring how quickly the days seem to be rushing by…..