Terri is a juvenile long-nosed fur seal, believed to be around 18 months old.

Long-nosed fur seals are commonly seen along the NSW coastline, particularly during the cooler months. Young seals like Terri will often travel and forage independently, coming ashore to rest and recover between periods at sea.

Yes. At Terri’s age, it is completely normal for a long-nosed fur seal to be on his own. Juvenile seals have weaned from their mothers and are learning to forage and travel independently.

They will often come ashore by themselves to rest and recover, sometimes staying in the same spot for several hours or even days before returning to the water. The best thing we can do is give Terri plenty of space and allow him to rest undisturbed.

Yes. ORRCA has continued to record Terri’s measurements, body condition and other monitoring data, all of which indicate that he is healthy and growing well.

Terri also sustained a cookiecutter shark injury several weeks ago. This has been closely monitored and has since healed well, with no current signs of concern.

Our team will continue carrying out regular welfare checks and monitoring for any changes in his condition.

There’s no way to know exactly when Terri will leave. Seals will stay hauled out for as long as they need, which may be several hours, a few days, or sometimes longer.

Terri may also return to the same area after heading back to sea. As long as he remains healthy and comfortable, there is no need to encourage him to move on - he will return to the ocean when he is ready.

ORRCA is continuing to undertake regular checks on Terri to assess his condition and welfare.

Our rescue teams respond to thousands of marine mammal incidents along the NSW coastline each year, so at times our members may be responding to another whale, dolphin or seal incident elsewhere.

Please be assured that Terri’s welfare remains a priority, and our team will continue to monitor him for as long as needed.

If an ORRCA team member is not on site and you believe Terri may need assistance, please call our 24/7 Rescue Hotline immediately on (02) 9415 3333 so we can assess the situation and deploy a team if required.

We do see seals all along the Central Coast, but usually as individual visitors rather than large groups.

The two most common species you'll find locally are Australian fur seals and Long-nosed fur seals. Long-nosed fur seals travel widely along the NSW coastline, and younger seals like Terri may stop at beaches and rock platforms to rest before continuing on their journey.

Terri spends long nights at sea foraging for food. As a juvenile, this takes a lot of energy, so he needs time during the day to rest, recover and conserve his energy.

Getting too close can cause unnecessary stress and interrupt this important rest.

In NSW, you are legally required to stay at least 40 metres away from a seal hauled out on land, or 80 metres if a pup is present.

Please keep dogs well away and never touch, feed or encourage Terri back into the water. The best way to help Terri is to give him space and let him rest undisturbed.

ORRCA takes the risk of H5N1 very seriously and has been preparing for its arrival in Australia for some time, alongside NSW and Federal government agencies. The virus has now been detected in wildlife in Australia, including a long-nosed fur seal in South Australia, so seals are among the species being closely monitored.

Terri is not displaying any signs that are causing our team concern. ORRCA is undertaking regular welfare checks and monitoring his behaviour and condition, with observations shared with our veterinary team and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Our responders also follow strict biosecurity and PPE protocols when monitoring marine mammals.

The public can help by keeping at least 40 metres away, keeping dogs well clear and never touching or approaching Terri. This protects both Terri and the community.

If you notice a significant change in Terri’s condition or behaviour while an ORRCA team member is not present, please call our 24/7 Rescue Hotline on (02) 9415 3333.

For the most up to date information relating to H5N1 in NSW, please refer to the NSW Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development's H5N1 online resources.

Terri is a wild seal and is capable of finding his own food. At his age, he is already foraging independently at sea, often spending long periods hunting before coming ashore to rest.

A seal resting on the beach does not necessarily mean it is hungry or needs help. Feeding wild seals will interfere with their natural behaviour, encourage them to approach people and may make them sick if they are given inappropriate food.

Terri’s condition is being monitored (and he is growing well!). The best thing we can do for him is give him space to rest and allow him to return to the ocean when he is ready.

ORRCA rescue members are helping to manage crowds and educate the public, while also monitoring Terri each day.

Our team is recording observations, measurements and other important data, which is shared with ORRCA’s central rescue and response teams, our veterinary team and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

At this stage, there is nothing about Terri’s condition that is causing concern. Our role is to keep monitoring him, make sure he has the space he needs to rest, and respond if anything changes.

The 40-metre exclusion zone is there to protect Terri from unnecessary disturbance while he rests.

ORRCA is the only licensed marine mammal rescue team on the Central Coast authorised to approach and work with seals as part of our rescue, monitoring and animal welfare responsibilities. Our Rescue Licence is issued under the NSW wildlife licensing framework administered by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Our licence number is MWL000100230.

This allows our trained rescue members to briefly enter the exclusion zone when necessary to assess Terri’s condition, take measurements and collect important monitoring data. Any approach is kept to a minimum and carried out carefully to avoid unnecessary disturbance.

Unless you are an authorised responder, please remain at least 40 metres away from Terri and allow him to rest.

The best way to help Terri is to give him space and let him rest undisturbed.

Please stay at least 40 metres away, keep dogs well away, and never touch, feed or encourage him back into the water. You can also help by reminding others to respect the exclusion zone and follow the directions of ORRCA rescue members on site.

ORRCA is a 100% volunteer organisation, responding to thousands of calls and reports involving whales, dolphins, seals and other marine mammals along the NSW coastline each year.

If you’d like to help us continue this work, please consider making a donation or supporting ORRCA. Every contribution helps our trained rescue teams respond when marine mammals need us most.