Seal Bay Conservation Park, Conservation park on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
Seal Bay Conservation Park is a coastal protected area on the south shore of Kangaroo Island, in South Australia. The park covers a long sandy beach backed by dunes and low native scrub where Australian sea lions come ashore to rest.
In the 1950s, researchers noted that Australian sea lion numbers had dropped sharply and pushed for protection of this stretch of coast. The site was formally designated as a conservation park, and access to the beach has been managed ever since.
Rangers lead small groups along the beach and explain the daily habits of the sea lions in plain language. For many visitors, this is the first time they see a wild marine mammal up close, and the experience tends to stay with them.
The beach can only be visited with a ranger-led tour, which runs at intervals throughout the day. Sturdy shoes are a good idea, as the path crosses soft sand and uneven ground before reaching the animals.
The Australian sea lion is one of the rarest sea lion species in the world and is found almost nowhere outside southern Australian waters. The colony here is one of the very few places where these animals can be watched at close range without any barrier between the visitor and the wildlife.
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