Vagrant Antarctic fur seals at Gough Island in 2009

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Bester, Marthan Nieuwoudt, Reisinger, Ryan Rudolf
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2009
• Subjects: Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella); Subantarctic fur seals; Arctocephalus gazella; Southern fur seals > Tristan da Cunha > Gough Island; Animal population density > South Atlantic Ocean; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Austral; Tristan; Gough; Antarc*; Antarctic Fur Seal; Antarctic Fur Seals; Polar Biology; South Atlantic Ocean; Southern Fur Seals
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/13728; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0749-4

The Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella at Gough Island (40°20 S, 09°54 W) in the South Atlantic Ocean, first seen in October/November 2005, was recorded again in September–October 2009. Up to three different individual Antarctic fur seals were sighted on a single day, on a particular beach. A total of seven different individuals were recorded over a 3-week period, well before the onset of the breeding (pupping) season of the resident population of Subantarctic fur seals A. tropicalis. Positively identified individuals were all male, mostly subadult and lean. Only a fraction (»20%) of the available beaches was searched, and it is unknown if the Antarctic fur seals were still present at Gough Island during the austral summer breeding season of southern fur seals.