Baby fur seal at dusk, Wellington harbour

This New Zealand fur seal pup (Kekeno, Arctocephalus forsteri) was hauled out on rocks by Oriental Parade, Wellington. It was dusk, and the gloomy half-light gave the seal's fur a pale blue glow.

I wondered if this seal's mother had left its pup for a night's hunting for fish. Alternatively, the pup may just have been weaned.

According to New Zealand's Department of Conservation, Kekeno feed mainly on squid and small mid-water fish but also take larger species such as conger eels, barracuda, jack mackerel and hoki, mostly off the continental shelf in depths greater than 22 metres. They dive deeper and longer than any other fur seal. Female fur seals on the West Coast are known to dive deeper than 238 metres, and for as long as 11 minutes.