Neil the Seal can teach us plenty about seal behaviour. A marine biologist explains

Neil the Seal became a social media sensation almost overnight.

Neil is a five-year-old male southern elephant seal who weighs roughly one tonne. He was born on the Tasman Peninsula in October 2020, and has made an annual trip to Tasmania each year since. This is because many seal species regularly return to the place they were born, as well as the sites where they breed and rest.

Over the past few years, Neil has been seen lounging on streets and climbing onto cars at southern Tasmania’s Seven Mile Beach. But beyond his hilarious antics, Neil offers a unique opportunity to understand the behaviour of the world’s largest seal species.

From him, we can also learn how to better coexist with marine wildlife, as we encounter them more often.

In need of rest

Imagine you’ve had an exhausting day of travel, work or running between meetings. The last thing you’d want when lying down to rest is to be swamped by hundreds of people wanting to take a picture of you.

For southern elephant seals, this isn’t far from reality.

Rest is essential for these marine mammals. Satellite-tracking studies show southern elephant seals spend months foraging at sea, often travelling thousands of kilometres across the Southern Ocean. So when they do come ashore – typically twice a year – they need time to recover.

After going through a catastrophic moult – the process by which seals shed their fur and top layer of skin once a year – these animals must also replenish their energy by resting.

“Haul-out periods” is the term scientists use to describe these times of rest. Disturbing seals during these critical periods – say by trying to touch, move or get too close to an animal – can stress them. It can also endanger the safety of both the seal and any people nearby.

Behind the antics

Viral videos show Neil appearing to push traffic cones, haul himself over parked cars and even chase people.

So what’s driving this behaviour?

The answer is surprisingly simple. Like any young male elephant seal, Neil was trying to attract the attention of other seals. But instead, he directed this behaviour towards people.

Young male seals spend years developing their size, strength and behaviour to compete with other males. Once they’re older, male seals will contend for the best breeding spots and for females with whom they want to mate. Asserting dominance, testing their strength and exploring unfamiliar objects are all part of their development.

In the absence of other elephant seals, Neil often directed these natural behaviours towards whatever was in his path – be it a traffic cone, bollard or parked car.

By understanding Neil’s actions, we realise that what might seem amusing or scary from a human perspective is often just normal animal behaviour.

Read more:
Neil the seal is more than a viral animal. He’s become a global folk hero

What Neil really teaches us

Neil’s story is a striking example of what can happen when scientists, wildlife managers, local councils, police and the public work together.

As his popularity grew, authorities developed management plans to protect both Neil and the eager onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of him. This included setting up temporary barriers to protect Neil from crowds. Public education campaigns helped ensure people behaved safely and responsibly around Neil – for example by staying at least 20 metres away from him.

This collaborative approach is increasingly important, as human-wildlife encounters become more common. We don’t fully understand why this is happening. One reason could be that some populations – such as South American fur seals in Patagonia – are increasing in numbers after previously being hunted. Environmental changes may also be pushing animals further south as climate change alters their habitat.

The public plays a vital role in protecting marine animals. In many cases, citizen scientists are the first to report unusual wildlife sightings. They provide valuable insight into where animals are resting, and how they are coping in changing environments. Without these observations, we wouldn’t know about many wildlife encounters. We also wouldn’t be able to understand how different populations and species are faring.

When humans go too far

Many other charismatic marine mammals have attracted global attention – sometimes with tragic consequences.

One well-known example is Freya the walrus who, by lounging on boats and floating docks, drew fans across Norway. Despite repeated warnings, people failed to keep their distance and kept approaching Freya to take photographs. Eventually, Norwegian authorities made the difficult decision to euthanise Freya, citing ongoing public safety concerns.

Thankfully, such tragedies can be avoided. Neil’s story shows that through good communication and public education, we can keep both wildlife and humans safe.

Will Neil be back?

It’s impossible to know if Neil will return to Tasmania, as he’s done each year since 2020. It’s likely he’s now back in the Southern Ocean, foraging for food. But many Australians are already hoping to see him again.

Either way, Neil’s legacy won’t just be about the viral videos or social media fame. It will also be the lesson he’s taught us, that sharing Australia’s coastline with wildlife comes with responsibility.

Saia Nahir Bartes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.