New Zealand · observation
Motueka Sandspit, Tasman Bay
· Tasman
A commenter reported seeing a leopard seal at Motueka Sandspit on Thursday 27 August 2009, during the same week as the DOC report of leopard seals in Tasman Bay.
- Species
- Leopard seal
- Number of seals
- 1
- Attributed name
- Unidentified
- Source
- New Zealand Department of Conservation Conservation blog comment by Pauline Samways
About this record
- Supporting evidence
- The comment on the original DOC page, posted 30 August 2009, explicitly identifies the sighting as Thursday 27 August and says the commenter saw it at Motueka Sandspit. It is a firsthand comment attached to the agency source, but the commenter is not independently identified as an official observer; retain the source-attributed species and confidence rather than upgrading it.
- Identification confidence
- Probable
- Editorial status
- Published by Seal Watch.
Source wording, attributed names and approximate date labels are preserved. A published report does not establish a verified animal identity.