Distribution and breeding of New Zealand sea lions Phocarctos hookeri on Campbell Island

Campbell Island is the only major breeding site for the New Zealand sea lio n Phocarctos hookeri outside the Auckland Islands. Minimum pup production w as estimated at 78 for the 1997/98 breeding season, compared with the only previous estimate of 122 from 1991/92, and represents less than 5% of the t otal pup production for the species. Sea lions at Campbell Island have a wi despread distribution, clumped at the coast and scattered inland. Local con centrations of sea lions were seen at Davis Point, Sandy Bay and both North east and Southeast Harbours. Isolated individuals were found up to 1.5 km i nland and at altitudes up to 250 m. Breeding females at Campbell Island are generally solitary and give birth inland, in contrast to the highly gregar ious colonies seen on the coasts of the Auckland Islands. In some years a s mall breeding colony forms on the coast, often at Davis point, but its loca tion is variable. Overall, the present distribution and abundance of sea li ons on Campbell Island does not appear to differ considerably from previous reports stretching back as far as the 1950s. Line transects proved inappro priate for estimating sea lion density, due to a low encounter rate and poo r visibility in dense vegetation. Future work could include surveys for pup s, which aggregate on the coast during March or April.