The Fur Seals of Phillip Island

When you’re in Melbourne, take 140-kilometer drive toward the southeast to reach Phillip Island, one of Victoria’s most famous islands.
 
With the little penguins usually the highlight of the island’s tourism, equally important and spectacular are the fur seals on Seal Rocks a few kilometres from the Nobbies.
 
Phillip Island is Victoria’s largest colony of Australian fur seals.
 
The fur seal’s broad head, pointy snout, two large eyes, two external ears, and a furry face with whiskers differentiate it from other seal species or from real seals. Two layers of brown fur covered the fur seal’s body. Its sharp set of teeth helps in catching their prey.
 
With its set of flippers, a fur seal can move on four limbs — it can raise its body and move on land. They can roll and wrestle. Fur seals are agile swimmers and skilful fishers with octopus, squid, and fish as their catch. They can dive deep into the ocean up to 200 meters in depth.
 
A male fur seal measures around 135 to 227 centimetres long and can weigh from 218 to 360 kilograms. The female fur seal can weigh around 41 to 113 kilograms, which is smaller than the male. When the male seal matures it sports a dark mane of coarse fur. A fur seal can live up to 20 years.
 
Of Australia’s around 13 seal colonies most of them are located on the rocky islands and shores around the Bass Strait. Australian fur seals have made Seal Rocks of Phillip Island a colony of which their population is 30,000 and still growing. The island is one of the largest Australian fur seal colony.
 
In the 19th century, fur seals were overly harvested. They’re almost extinct that it took a long time for its population to recover. Australia passed a law that protected the fur seals from seal hunters.
 
Between October and December is the fur seals’ breeding season. This is the best time of year to see them on the rocks with the young playfully wrestling each other, the mothers nurse their young, and some of them relaxing and bathing under the sun.
 
Phillip Island’s fur seals have increasingly become a favourite tourist attraction next to the Little Penguins. They can entertain tourists too with their playfulness.
 
Travel with Eco Platypus to have a unique and memorable Phillip Island tour experience. Book our One-Day Phillip Island Tour which highlights a visit to a wildlife park to get up close with some of Australia’s native wildlife, learning more about the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic at the Nobbies Centre, viewing the Australian fur seals playfully tanning on the rocks of Seal Rocks, and watching the famous penguin parade at the Summerland beach.
 
The tour is guaranteed to be one of its kind and full of fun. There’s also a twist of sweetness in this tour because we visit a chocolate factory and try some samples. Of course, the main highlights must be the fur seals and the little penguins.