Marine Mammals of Victoria
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Victorian waters are home to an Whale diagram Seals True seal Keep your distance amazing diversity of marine mammal If you come across a whale, dolphin or seal in Victoria, it is There are two types of seals within Australian waters: important that you act responsibly by admiring them from species, including whales, dolphins dorsal fin dorsal (back) the ‘eared’ (Otariidae) and the ‘true seals’ (Phocidae). a distance. This is for your own safety, as well as to minimise blow hole and seals. snout or muzzle our impact on these animals. rostrum The following diagrams show the features of State Regulations are in place to protect marine mammals. seals used for identification and their differences eyes This guide provides information on no external ear-flap For further information on these Regulations, and what you in size. These features are referred to in the tail can and can’t do around whales, dolphins and seals, visit the some of the various species of whales, descriptions below. DSE website at www.dse.vic.gov.au. throat eye dolphins and seals that can be seen in pleats tail fluke Marine Mammals pectoral fins or flippers Reporting injured or distressed Victorian waters or on beaches. ventral of Victoria (underneath) marine mammals Eared seal Stranded, entangled, sick or injured whales or dolphins should Identification Guide Image: Humpback whale whiskers front flippers Whales be reported to the Whale and Dolphin Emergency Hotline hind flippers on 1300 136 017. Do not report seal issues to this number. Whales and dolphins belong to the order Teeth vs Baleen snout or muzzle Image: Leopard Seal Stranded, entangled sick or injured seals should be reported Cetacea, of which there are two different types, eyes ears to the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186. the baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales Teeth (Odontoceti). Baleen is a fibrous, bristle like whiskers Reporting infringements substance used to sieve small prey from the water. Scale bar Illegal interactions with whales, dolphins and seals should be mane (males only) reported to the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186. Identification features If in doubt, report it! The following shows the features of whales and dolphins that are used for identification. These features are referred to in the Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Elephant Seal Melbourne, September 2010 descriptions overleaf. Leopard Seal © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 Fur Seal Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne Printed by Stream Solutions Baleen Printed on recycled paper 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 6.5 ISBN 978-1-74242-609-9 (print) ISBN 978-1-74242-610-5 (online) For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186 Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its front flippers employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is tail wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability hind flippers for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Photography Cover image by David Donnelly (Dolphin Research Institute), John Gibbens and Glenn Sharp (DSE). Illustrations by Brett Jarrett. This document is also available in PDF format on the Internet at www.dse.vic.gov.au Image: Australian Fur Seal Note: all lengths and weights are averages for an animal in healthy condition, but may vary. = Female, = Male www.dse.vic.gov.au Photo by Darren Jew Eared seals True seals Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult & Adult Adult Australian Fur Seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) Sub-Antarctic Fur Seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea) Distinguishing Larger than other fur seals and similar character to sea Distinguishing Smallest of the seals found in Victoria. Unique pale Distinguishing Smaller than the Australian fur seal and darker in Distinguishing Bulky, black nose with white ring around eyes. features: lions. Males are heavy chested with thick dark mane. features: yellow colour underside. Colour around eyes contrasts features: colouration. Sharply pointed snout. features: Males have a large head and yellow crown. Length: Adult male: 2.5m; Adult female: 1.5m; Juvenile: 1.2m, with darker upperparts. Males have distinctive Length: Adult male: 2m; Adult female: 1.5m; Pup: 0.7m. ‘mo-hawk’ crest. Length: Adult male: 2.5m; Adult female: 1.8m; Juvenile: 1m; Pup: 0.6m. Leopard Seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) Weight: Adult male: 100kg; Adult female: 50kg, Juvenile: 25kg, Length: Adult male: 2m; Adult female: 1.5m; Juvenile: 1m; Juvenile: 1.2m; Pup: 0.7m. Distinguishing Serpentine-like appearance, with long neck and large, Pup: 10kg. Pup: 0.7m. Weight: Adult male: 100kg; Adult female: 35kg; Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) Weight: Adult male: 100kg; Adult female: 60kg; features: flat reptilian head. Powerful jaws and broad mouth Colour: Adult male: greyish brown with paler chest and dark Weight: Adult male: 100kg; Adult female: 35kg; Juvenile: Juvenile: 20kg; Pup: 7kg. Distinguishing Long body and heavy build. Adult male is noticeably Juvenile: 25kg; Pup: 10kg. gape. Sharp teeth. brown belly. 20kg; Pup: 7kg. features: larger than female, with conspicuous proboscis (nose) Colour: Male: grey to brown. Length: Adult male: 4m; Adult female: 4.5m; Adult female: pale fawn to greyish brown with pale chest during the breeding season. Colour: Adult male: dark grey with contrasting whitish-yellow Colour: Adult male: chocolate brown, yellow crown with dark Juvenile: 2m; Pup: 1.2m. and brown belly. face and chest. Adult female: grey to brown and lighter underneath. muzzle. Greyer back with dusky abdomen and flippers. Length: Adult male: 6.5m; Adult female: 4m; Weight: Adult male: 350kg; Adult female: 400kg; Juvenile: similar to the female, coat pale when dry. Juvenile: 3m; Pup: 1.5m. Adult female: dark grey with contrasting whitish-yellow Juvenile: similar to female. Juvenile: 120kg; Pup: 30kg. Pup: black with variable grey-brown underneath face and chest. Adult female: dark back and top of head, with Weight: Adult male: 4,000kg; Adult female: 500kg; (December–February), same colouration as female creamy-yellow under-body and sides of head. Colour: Adult male and female: Silver to dark blue-grey, Juvenile: uniform dark olive-brown, occasionally with Pup: black, but become grey to brown after first moult Juvenile: 400kg; Pup: 100kg. (after February). with pale silver underneath. Dark areas variably whitish-yellow face and chest. (4 months). Juvenile: similar to female. spotted darker grey and black. Colour: Adult male: dark brown with lighter brown underneath. Coat: Short thick underfur concealed by long outer fur. Pup: dark brown with paler crown and dark facial mask. Older males have light coloured mane. Pup: glossy-black with dark chocolate brown belly. Coat: Long outer fur conceals short thick underfur. Older Juvenile: similar to adult, but demarcation between Adult female: darker than males. dark above and pale underneath more obvious Flippers: Front flippers rounded and thicker where they join body. Coat: Dense short underfur concealed by long outer fur. males have mane. Coat: Short hair with lack of dense underfur. Males have Juvenile: greyish coat, slightly paler below. Hind flippers rotate beneath body, enabling them to walk Adult males have prominent black crest on forehead a mane. Pup: same as adult. Flippers: Front flippers are long with straight sides, with little or Pup: black to very dark brown. on land. and thick mane. Coat: Hair short and dense. no thickening where it joins body. Hind flippers rotate Flippers: Outermost digits of hind limbs are longer than middle Coat: Hair short and stiff. Flippers: Front flippers short and broad in relation to body beneath body, enabling them to walk on land. digits. Hind flippers rotate under body enabling them Flippers: Front flippers long and broad, near the centre of the Family: Otariidae Flippers: Front flippers small in relation to body size. Hind size. Fleshy extensions of hind flippers are shorter to walk on land. body. Hind flippers small and used for locomotion in Mating season: 6–10 days after birth of a pup, with delayed fertilisation compared with Antarctic fur seal. Hind flippers rotate Family: Otariidae flippers cannot rotate under body, so unable to walk Family: Otariidae the water. to allow for birthing in summer. beneath body, enabling themto walk on land. on land. Calving October–December Mating 7–8 days after birth of a pup, with delayed fertilisation Family: Otariidae Mating season: 7–10 days after birth of a pup, with delayed fertilisation Family: Phocidae Family: Phocidae season: season: to allow for birthing in summer. Mating season: 7–12 days after birth of a pup, with delayed to allow for birthing in summer. Mating November–January Mating 18 days after birth of a pup, with delayed fertilisation No. of pups: 1 fertilisation to allow for birthing in summer. Calving November–January Calving season: January–October season: season: to allow for birthing in summer. season: Calving September–January Calving September–November Conservation Protected in Victoria. Calving season: November–February No. of pups: 1 status: season: season: No. of pups: 1 No. of pups: 1 Distribution: Can be seen along entire coastline, with substantial Conservation Protected in Victoria. No. of Pups: 1 No. of pups: 1 Conservation Protected in Victoria, Vulnerable nationally. Conservation Protected and considered vulnerable in Victoria. breeding colonies at Phillip Island, Lady Julia Percy status: Conservation Protected in Victoria. status: status: Conservation Protected in Victoria, Vulnerable nationally. Island, Cape Bridgewater, The Skerries at Croajingalong status: status: Distribution: Occasional visitors to Victoria’s coastline.