Youths harass a sea lion at Smaills Beach on Monday evening. Smoking cigarettes and clutching bottles, the group were "getting up in the sea lion’s space" and "disturbing it and then trying to run away". This is the second time within a week a member of the Dunedin public has recorded a close encounter with a sea lion. Over the weekend, female sea lion Mika entered St Kilda shop Takeaways on Marlow and stayed for about half an hour. Doc ranger Moss Thompson managed to de-escalate the situation and lead the sea lion out of the premises by banging a pot and using wooden shields to guide her outside and away from the shop.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 13, 2026 18:17 UTC