leopard seal! (plus cockles and more)

Hamish volunteered to take Caleb Irvine and I cockling, and as we were about to leave the area, spotted a difficult to identiy marine mammal on the beach. It turned out to be a rare leopard seal -- which occasioned great excitement. Later that evening, the cockles were steamed and turned (by Abby) into an appetizer and a fabulous chowder, which we had with lightly-seared tuna and local salmon.

The photos above are of fur seals.

A rare leopard seal resting at Aramoana beach.