Australian fur seals are playful, and Australian photographer Alastair Pollock captured the adorable animals having fun in front of his camera lens off of Montague Island in New South Wales, Australia.
The friendly manner of these seals, which can live for two decades, makes them great subjects, Pollock says. “Australian fur seals are very interactive, as long as you make an effort to move through the water in a manner that entertains them,” he says. “They often swim at you with their mouths open blowing bubbles, or playfully nip the end of your fins when your back is turned.”
Bull seals—the males—aren’t as open to human interaction. “The large bull seals can show defensive behavior if you swim too close to their on-shore colony,” the photographer says. “I've had bull seals come right up and bark in my face. I just move back a few feet and they relax again.”
In the 1800s, Australian fur seals were nearly hunted to extinction, according to Parks Victoria. Today, the population is stable, earning the IUCN designation as a species of least concern.
Pollock discovered the great spot to see these seals from his brother, who dived at Montague Island years before. Now, he regularly makes the nearly six-hour trip from his hometown, Sydney, when the weather permits.
“Montague Island is frequently inaccessible due to bad weather,” he explained. “A trip to the island requires a bar crossing that is not safe in large surf.”
When he can access the island, he prefers to have the sun shining and clear skies. “One of the biggest challenges with underwater photography is getting enough light on your subject. Water filters out a lot of the light,” he says. “I generally prefer a natural light look, rather than large amounts of strobe light. Therefore sunny conditions are optimal.”
In addition to capturing seals at Montague Island, Pollock has taken pictures of sea turtles, crabs, and even tiger sharks in the Bahamas.
“The most exciting diving experience I’ve had was with tiger sharks,” he explains. “Having them repeatedly bite my camera housing so that I was effectively yanking the camera from their mouths was quite an exciting experience!”
For more of Pollock’s work visit his website or Flickr page.
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