Seal Rocks

A common title usually attributed to Phillip Island is that of being a top tourist destination in Australia. Actually, this is quite accurate because the island really boasts of several attractions that are rarely found in Australia and in many other parts of the world. For starters, it is home to the famous Penguin Parade, a virtual mass showcase of a wide array of penguins seen daily within the island.

There is also the annual migration of short-tailed shearwaters, a species of seabirds that are known to make Phillip Island their breeding grounds. More than a million of these are said to remain within the island during summer.

Then there is the imposing Seal Rocks, a sizable colony of Australian seals that is said to be the largest in the whole of Australia. As much as 16,000 species of these are known to have made Seal Rocks their permanent dwelling place, with their number usually reaching its peak during the months of October up to December when the seals enter their breeding season.

Tourists often find Seal Rocks pleasantly fascinating because they get to see the seals at their natural best doing a variety of actions, including having a tan among the rocks, wrestling, frolicking, or simply jumping up and down into the cold Australian waters. At other times, the female seals can be observed trying to feed their young, but what should perhaps count as the most interesting event that watchers can ever see is the transformation of the seals from large but clumsy land creatures into swift and expert marine animals confidently rocking and rolling their huge physique into the waters of Phillip Island.

Located off the Nobbies coast, Seal Rocks has become a preferred tourist destination in Australia just like the nearby Penguin Parade on Phillip Island. This has likewise exposed the Australian seals to possible encroachments by humans, eventually leading to the creation of boardwalks at Nobbies where visitors are allowed to see the seals come to life everyday through telescopes.

The Nobbies are amazing rock formations situated along the western end of Phillip Island from where the seal colony nestled at Seal Rocks can be viewed with amazing clarity. A stroll along its many boardwalks should likewise afford a good opportunity to see the seals in live action.

Seal Rocks cruises

For seal lovers who want something more spectacular, however, they can use several chartered tours that regularly make stops around the vicinity of Seal Rocks. Seals by Sea Tours are particularly exciting as it will only take about three minutes for the chartered boat to reach the perimeters surrounding the main colony of the seals.

The cruise lasts for 45 minutes within which watchers can catch the furry seals playing around the chartered boat with some daring enough to approach people and allow their whiskers to be brushed. Others will try to show off upon hearing the clicking sounds of a portable camera.

Seals by Sea Tours operate daily, ferrying around eleven passengers with every trip to the seal colony. Other chartered tours are also available; particularly those that set sail from Cowes. These chartered tours are likewise good options since they regularly offer special packages especially during summer.