Fans of Rocky the seal will be glad to know that the little charmer is growing by the day and remains in good health.
This young southern elephant seal first appeared at Rocky Bay on October 9 and was the talk of the town for quite some time.
He was monitored by locals during his stay on the mid-South Coast and was eventually relocated by the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) to a quieter beach within a Marine Protected Area.
Rocky rested there for a little while, got back into the water, but then appeared on yet another beach shortly after.
SAAMBR then took him to the uShaka Sea World rehabilitation facility, where they did further tests and allowed him to recover.
Rocky has reportedly gained confidence and is now eating just over 6kg of fish a day. His total fish allocation for the day is divided into three equal feeds, which he looks forward to!
His diet is made up of squid, cuttlefish, pilchards and other small schooling fish.
Rocky currently weighs 107kg, and SAAMBR hopes that by the time he is ready for release, he will have gained another 8kg.
The seal has not yet been released as he is currently undergoing his annual moult. This is when seals shed their coat of fur before emerging with a shiny new coat.
While undergoing a moult, seals generally remain on land and do not spend long periods in the water hunting for food.
It is also common for seals to put on weight before beginning a moult.
The SAAMBR team hopes that Rocky’s moult will be complete within the next month or so.
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