Description of the attraction
The Bay of Seals Sanctuary, as the name implies, is home to the island's last colony of Australian sea lions. Once upon a time, hunting for these cute animals was one of the main activities of the first European settlers, which put the existence of the species under the threat of complete extinction. But, fortunately, people changed their minds in time, and since 1972 the local colony of sea lions has been under state protection. In 1994, the park's visitor center was built, and in 1996 a new boardwalk (400 m) was laid across the dunes, which leads to the observation deck. This path can be used by "wild" tourists to look at the colony of sea lions. And access directly to the beach is allowed only in groups accompanied by a park ranger (a walk along the beach among the lions lasts 45 minutes). On the beach, you can also see the skeleton of a whale washed ashore many years ago. Some areas of the park are completely closed to tourists, mainly those places where pinnipeds nurse their cubs. Wallabies can also be found in the park, which sometimes prowl along footpaths, possums and echidnas, although they are predominantly nocturnal. Kangaroos, ubiquitous on the island, can be seen wandering along the beach among the lions.
Seals Bay is 45 minutes' drive from Kingscote. Not far from the protected area is Bales Bay, where there are equipped picnic areas with all the necessary amenities.
