Harold the sea lion walks into a Beachport worksite and gets a job as a trade assistant

He disappears for days on his lunch break and flatly refuses to work summers but today Harold the sea lion decided to lend a flipper at a Beachport worksite.

A sea lion has walked onto a worksite and scored a job as a trade assistant.

He isn’t qualified and only shows up when he’s not hungry but Harold is a much loved member of the McManus Builders team.

The big fella is often found laying down on the veranda at Harbourmasters House at Beachport, but today, for the first time, he let himself into check out how the renovations were coming along.

Harold the sea lion in Beachport, contributed by McManus Builders.

Harold hanging out.

McManus Builders owner Karen McManus said Harold had claimed the historic beachside home as his own.

“He was actually sitting on the front doormat like a dog and he just he just doesn’t seem to worry about the humans and today he just waltzed in the passage,” Mrs McManus said.

“There’s every trade known to mankind there at the moment, it’s never been busier and he just decided to walk in.”

While the builders have claimed him as its company mascot, the boss says he isn’t the most hygienic employee, disappears for days on his lunch break and flatly refuses to work summers.

“When he poops, it’s horrendous and he stinks like nothing you would ever imagine,” Mrs McManus said.

Unlike most tradies, you can’t keep Harold away from the job site.

He’s waiting out front before the boss is even there to open up.

“He will go to sea and fish for two days and then he will come back on land for the equivalent amount of time.

“We mainly see him day-on, day-off but he disappears over the summer, maybe there’s just you know too many people around.”

Mrs McManus said Harold, who likely commutes from the colony at Sherbet Rock Island between Beachport and South End, is no stranger to locals and despite not pulling his weight on site his fellow tradies love him.

Harold the seal in Beachport, contributed by McManus Builders.

“He’s been hanging around for a couple of years now and he started off very wild and you couldn’t really go near him,” she said.

“Now he spends a lot of his time down the front beach and a few times he’s been sitting in the middle of the road.

“As times gone on, he’s got quite a tame.

“I just hope his friendliness doesn’t get him into trouble.”