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Jun 21, 2023

Sea World investigates mystery of how fur seal ended up in Gold Coast's Lake Orr

The Glitter Strip is well-known for its dark underbelly and criminal probes, but a different kind of investigation is underway on the Gold Coast after a fur seal was spotted on the loose in the city.

The Glitter Strip is well-known for its dark underbelly and criminal probes, but a different kind of investigation is underway on the Gold Coast after a fur seal was spotted on the loose in the city.

The juvenile seal caught the eye of members of the public in Lake Orr at Varsity Lakes on Friday.

Apparently unperturbed by its growing audience, the seal – whose gender has not yet been confirmed – appears to be having a whale of a time in the shallows.

Just how it got into the lake remains a mystery.

The only way in from the Gold Coast canal system is through a weir at Bond University.

Lake Orr is more than 15 kilometres from the nearest entrance to the ocean at The Spit seaway.

Sea World's curator of mammals and birds Mitchell Leroy has turned private eye in a bid to retrace the 18-month-old's steps.

He told the ABC the only likely explanation for its presence in the lake was that the animal got out of the water and walked in.

"It may have come up to the weir into the park and walked around over a small footbridge," Mr Leroy said.

He is also exploring the idea that the seal got through a drain system and jumped a fence.

"These animals can hold their breath for quite some time," Mr Leroy said.

The Gold Coast's own Fur-lock Holmes is yet to reach his elementary conclusion, but he says the pedestrian bridge over the weir is the most logical explanation as to how the seal ended up in the lake.

As to the animal's motive, it seems the seal is simply an opportunist exploring the world after reaching early adulthood.

The ABC has been told there were reports of the seal in the Nerang River at Surfers Paradise one day earlier.

"It was probably just swimming along looking for food and just kept going," Mr Leroy said.

Seals are naturally inquisitive and likely to keep exploring given the chance, he added.

"They will spend a lot of time hauled out [of the water] and maybe this animal has tried to haul out and rest and sleep and was annoyed," Mr Leroy said.

"It could have been by passers-by or pets off-leash – anything like that – and it's just felt the need to continue swimming and has just wandered through an area."

The seal's big day out is not without risk — Lake Orr is home to bull sharks that entered via the weir system as youngsters and found themselves stuck there after growing up.

"This animal would present as something that they may predate on, so there's definitely a concern," Mr Leroy said.

But the seal of interest is reportedly street smart.

"The animal does seem very aware of its environment," Mr Leroy said.

"It's looking around, it's staying to the shallows, that I can see."

Experts say it is highly unusual for a seal to be seen in the area and that the salinity of the water in Lake Orr could affect the animal's vision.

Like many Gold Coast natives, the seal is sporting a well-toned physique.

Its survival skills also appear to be well-honed and suited for the rigours of life on the lam.

"It must have some life skills to be able to travel this far and to still be in a good body condition," Mr Leroy said.

"It knows how to hunt and I did see it chasing fish in the lake this morning."

Sea World's crack investigative team hopes to convince the seal to turn itself in for a health assessment and is offering assurances the animal is not in any trouble.

Staff are asking members of the public to phone Sea World if they see the seal, but not to approach it — it could be armed and dangerous with sharp teeth.

"The main thing we need is for the animal to be in a position where we can collect it and for that it needs to be on the land," Mr Leroy said.

"There's lots of areas around this lake for it haul out — it'll go up the rocky banks.

"There's lots of private property circling this lake.

"It could end up in somebody's backyard tomorrow, tonight, this afternoon, at any time.

"That's really what we need, and then we need to basically get ourselves and our equipment in between it in the water and put our hands on the little guy."

Once the fugitive has been questioned, Mr Leroy says he will be released in Sydney in the hope he will meet up with a new crowd.

"It's a great location for these animals — generally the breeding colonies and other non-breeding colonies are down that way, a bit further south," he said.

Mr Leroy said seals had been seen on the Gold Coast in recent years, from as many as 16 in one year or one or two in others.

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