Antarctic leopard seal found in Coffin Bay, Eyre Peninsula

They’re one of the Antarctic’s apex predators, roaming above and under the pack ice and feeding on penguins and other seals, but two leopard seals have been found on Eyre Peninsula beaches in the past two months.

A rare leopard seal spotted at Coffin Bay. Picture: Bianca Parkyn

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Bianca Parkyn has had some amazing wildlife experiences in her career as an animal communicator, working with wild elephants in Africa and swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef.

But the 45-year-old Coffin Bay resident said a chance encounter with a rare leopard seal was up there with her most special encounters.

Ms Parkyn said she was walking along Coffin Bay’s picturesque esplanade on Sunday when she noticed the unusual pinniped sunning itself on the beach.

The seals, which have a fearsome reputation as one of the most dangerous creatures in the Antarctic, are rarely seen in Australia, although one was observed at Fowlers Bay on the Far West Coast this July.

“He seemed very young and just chilled and placid – very ‘no dramas’,” Ms Parkyn said.

“He was just sunbaking. I had a coffee and I just sat with him and observed him for 20 minutes or so. I thought, ‘Gee, this isn’t your usual Sunday morning gig is it?’.”

The seal had made a long journey from Antarctic waters. Picture: Bianca Parkyn

Ms Parkyn said she went back to check on the seal later and it had moved on.

The Eyre Peninsula local runs a consulting service called Animal Insights Australia where she uses her talents as an “animal whisperer” to tell everyone from pet owners to vets what critters are thinking and feeling.

“Ever since I was little I could look at an animal and feel what it was feeling,” Mr Parkyn said.

“Some people are born good with kids, but for me it was animals.”

SA Museum pinniped expert Dr Peter Shaughnessy said the leopard seal was a juvenile and appeared to be quite thin after its journey from the frozen south.

Dr Shaughnessy said that while leopard seals were unusual in South Australia, when they did appear it was often in clusters.

“Back in 2008 there were eight spotted in the Coorong area,” he said.

Dr Shaughnessy said there had been two previous recorded sightings of the animals at Coffin Bay, a dead adult that was found in 1992 and a thin juvenile seen in 2006.

Originally published as Antarctic leopard seal found in Coffin Bay, Eyre Peninsula