This is our turf: Gang of baby seals takes over jetty at Denial Bay, SA West Coast

Up to 19 long-nosed fur seal pups have taken up residence on a West Coast jetty.

Seals sleeping on the warm planks of the Denial Bay jetty. Picture: Andrew Brooks

It’s official – the jetty at Denial Bay on the state’s West Coast has been given the seal of approval.

Local photographer Andrew Brooks captured these cute images of baby long-nosed fur seals sunning themselves on the pier, just west of Ceduna.

Mr Brooks said he’d counted up to 19 pups on the jetty in recent weeks, with a little rocky grotto being the favoured hangout spot.

Long-nosed fur seal pups on the Denial Bay jetty. Picture: Andrew Brooks

“Once that fills up then the latecomers have to lie on the jetty boards,” he said.

National Parks and Wildlife officers have posted a sign at the jetty informing people that the pups had recently weaned off their mothers’ milk and were sheltering in the shallow waters of Denial Bay during the recent run of extreme winter weather.

The sign warned jetty users to enjoy watching the pups from a distance.

And that’s exactly what young Xavier Dusci had to do went he wanted to go fishing but found the cheeky young pups blocking his way.

Xavier Dusci is blocked off from his fishing spot by the seal pups. Picture: Andrew Brooks

In other marine mammal news, whale watching season is well underway at the Head of the Bight.

Head of Bight Visitors Centre co-manager Jessie Sheather said there were about 20 mother and calf pairs of southern right whales congregating close to the cliffs, with another 30 or 40 pairs further offshore.

Ms Sheather said visitor numbers to the region had been quite steady, although they were down on recent years due to Covid lockdowns and border closures reducing the number of people travelling across the Nullarbor.

The seal pups have moved up on to the jetty to escape the winter weather. Picture: Andrew Brooks