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February 3, 2026 \u2014 3:17pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n It was a lovely morning for a swim \u2013 or so thought a friendly seal out for a morning frolic in the Maribyrnong River in Footscray early on Monday.<\/p>\n Pinnipeds are infrequent, but not unprecedented, visitors in the city and inner suburbs as wildlife activity in Melbourne\u2019s waterways is seen more often over summer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Footscray local Rebecca Nelthorpe recorded the seal behind Flemington Racecourse about 6am.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just walking along the river with the dog, and I always have a look in the water, because there\u2019s a lot of jellyfish<\/a> and cool things in there at the moment, and I saw a little seal\u2019s head pop up and swim past us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Another seal amused onlookers in Geelong in January as it hitched a ride on the Spirit of Tasmania as the boat moved around Corio Bay.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n A third seal was also reported around Altona last month<\/a>, while others were recently seen<\/a> around the Mornington Peninsula.<\/p>\n Elise Doyle from Zoos Victoria\u2019s marine response unit said the Australian fur seal population around Port Phillip was currently strong.<\/p>\n She said a wooden platform known as Chinaman\u2019s Hat \u2013 near the heads between Portsea and Queenscliff \u2013 remained a major \u201chaul out\u201d location, where up to 100 seals get out of the water and rest.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last year has been hectic. There are so many seals out there, they look like sardines,\u201d Doyle said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s not surprising that more seals are hauling out to different places in the bay. I think they\u2019re probably looking for a bit of real estate.\u201d<\/p>\n She said it was not unusual to spot a seal in a river close to the city.<\/p>\n \u201cWe definitely do get more reports over summer,\u201d she said, \u201cespecially because people are along our beaches and out enjoying the water this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n Doyle estimated her unit, which responds to reports of injured or distressed seals, received a call about a seal in a river every two months.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Matt Montemurro, from the Marine Mammal Foundation, said young seals may end up in rivers this time of year more often as they explored alone for the first time.<\/p>\n Australian fur seals come ashore to breed between October and December, meaning mothers eventually cast aside older offspring in summer to prioritise their newborn.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve very inquisitive animals,\u201d Montemurro said. \u201cSo they\u2019ll go hunting up waterways.\u201d<\/p>\n The Guardian reported in August<\/a> that another seal was spotted in the Yarra River around Docklands and near the Hoddle Bridge in Richmond.<\/p>\n Another river-exploring seal dubbed Salvatore drew attention<\/a> amid the pandemic lockdowns of 2021 as it frolicked at Dights Falls in Abbotsford.<\/p>\n In 2017, another seal dubbed Salvatore<\/a> also took up residence along the Yarra River during summer.<\/p>\n Dr Nicole Kowalczyk, the lead advocate of the Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association, said seals often explored the main tributary of Melbourne\u2019s inner west, too.<\/p>\n Three months ago, she spotted a seal further upstream<\/a> from Flemington Racecourse near Maribyrnong\u2019s Pipemakers Park, along the estuarine stretch of river that continues north to Avondale Heights.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the tide, you have schools of fish that are coming and going, and [seals] might just be following that,\u201d Kowalczyk said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re also visual predators \u2026 so if conditions are relatively clear in the water, and it\u2019s a sunny day, you would think they\u2019ve got a higher chance of foraging well in the river.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, of course, you\u2019ve got less competition than in the bay.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Kowalczyk said seal sightings in the river remained occasional, indicating the waterway remained imperfect habitat.<\/p>\n Get to the heart of what\u2019s happening with climate change and the environment. Sign up for our fortnightly Environment newsletter.<\/a><\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n From our partners![\"Salvatore](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/b693c2b938a1c5e9c2223d50e9aca8de20578612.jpeg\")
Salvatore the seal in the Yarra River in 2021.Simon Griffiths<\/p>\n![\"Salvatore](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/296867dc96a868b588540c233f57b978568850fd.jpeg\")
Salvatore the seal was first spotted in the Yarra River at South Yarra in July 2014.Joe Armao<\/p>\n![\"Maribyrnong](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/9a14540abceff004e6aab805bb4489ba0bfb9dd5.jpeg\")
Maribyrnong River advocate Dr Nicole Kowalczyk in Essendon West, with a Melbourne CBD view. Jason South<\/p>\n