Vagrant Antarctic fur seals at Gough Island in 2009

Abstract

The Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella at Gough Island (40°20 S, 09°54 W) in the South Atlantic Ocean, first seen in October/November 2005, was recorded again in September–October 2009. Up to three different individual Antarctic fur seals were sighted on a single day, on a particular beach. A total of seven different individuals were recorded over a 3-week period, well before the onset of the breeding (pupping) season of the resident population of Subantarctic fur seals A. tropicalis. Positively identified individuals were all male, mostly subadult and lean. Only a fraction (»20%) of the available beaches was searched, and it is unknown if the Antarctic fur seals were still present at Gough Island during the austral summer breeding season of southern fur seals.