General movements of South African (Cape) fur seals arctocephalus pusillus pusillus from analysis of recoveries of tagged animals

Abstract

Recoveries of tagged South African (Cape) fur seals totalling 10 954 are analysed. of these, 92 per cent were harvested at their natal colony, 6 per cent at colonies other than their natal colony and 1 per cent each were recovered at sea and found beached. Some dispersal does take place, the Namibian colony of Cape Cross being the focal point. Seals from different colonies share the same feeding grounds, the areas north of Cape Cross and between Cape Point and Cape Columbine appearing to be the two most important feeding grounds. The initial rate of natural mortality of females is higher than that of males, but from the age of six weeks the rates of mortality are the same. Most of the harvested, tagged seals collected at other colonies were in their second year, suggesting that seals only start to disperse after weaning and that it is mainly immature seals which disperse. Most of the tagged seals recovered at sea were five years or older, whereas those beached were mainly in their first year. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.