Northland residents amazed by fur seal visit at Ruakaka River

"No Dogs Allowed": A fur seal was spotted at the end of a Ruakaka resident's driveway near the Ruakaka river. Photo / Kevin Wigmore

Ruakaka residents were amazed when they got a surprise visit by a fur seal near Ruakaka River on Friday morning.

Kevin Wigmore told the Northern Advocate that when he was making breakfast he got an unexpected call from a neighbour about a fur seal in the area.

Over the phone, Keith Clampham told Wigmore that he and his wife Lynda had spotted the mammal at the end of their driveway by the Ruakaka River on Princes St.

The unexpected visitor was spotted at the end of a Ruakaka resident's driveway. Photo / Kevin Wigmore

"I grabbed my camera gear and went down and sure enough, there it was... a fur seal," Wigmore said.

"Keith and I have been here for a while now and we have never seen a fur seal at the river before. And it was a big one."

Wigmore took incredible and "hard case" photos of the unexpected visitor before it high-tailed back into the river. Photo / Kevin Wigmore

Wigmore took a series of incredible and "hard case" photos of the unexpected visitor before it high-tailed back into the river.

"We thought it was funny that the fur seal was parked right beside the 'No Dogs' sign," he said.

"We didn't get too close but the fur seal wasn't hanging around."