A welcome sight: Tagged elephant seal confirmed back on local shores

The Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town has celebrated the return of an elephant seal to local shores, marking a significant, if temporary, migration event.

The massive, furry sea mammal is back in the city for moulting season, a crucial process during which the seals shed their skin and fur.

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The sighting is particularly exciting because it involves a familiar face.

Last yearin December, the aquarium tagged an elephant seal named Bakkies, and to their surprise, Bakkies has returned.

Martine Viljoen, manager for Marine Wildlife Management, explained that tagging and vaccinating these animals allows scientists to gather vital data.

“Bakkies was originally first tagged at Buckoven in December 2024. So, the last time we heard of them as well was in Mouille Point earlier in April. So, it was quite fascinating when they did pop up at Onrus Beach. It was very useful for us to confirm with his tag number 17612, the blue tag on his back flipper, that we could see it was the same individual.”

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