Sea Lion pup, Kangaroo Island
Acrylic, graphite pencil and charcoal on linen: 75cm x102cm
Kangaroo Island has one of the rarest sea lions in the world, Seal Bay being the 3rd largest breeding colony in Australia.
April 2026, while on an undisclosed coastal walk with friends, I managed to take a close up image of a Sea Lion pup, nestled safely amongst the rocky shore.
I did my best not to disturb the young pup however it was aware of my presence, making eye contact with me.
Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) are part of a group known as ‘eared’ seals, and are native to Australia. They are very social animals and when not feeding out at sea, they spend time resting and sun baking on sandy beaches and rocks.
This piece portrays the vulnerability of these beautiful mammals shortly after birth. It is normal for around one third of sea lion pups to die before weaning. Pups quickly learn to swim, feed and grow strong to head offshore to fend for themselves.
