Seal Rocks (Victoria) Explained

Seal Rocks
Etymology:	fur seal (Grant, 1801)
Map:	Australia Victoria
Location:	Bass Strait
Coordinates:	-38.526°N 145.0996°W
Area Ha:	2.8
Elevation M:	12
Country:	Australia
Country Admin Divisions Title:	State
Country Admin Divisions:	Victoria
Population:	0

Seal Rocks comprises two small islets – Seal Rock and Black Rock – 1.5km (00.9miles) south-west of Phillip Island in Victoria, Australia^[1] at the western entrance to Western Port.

They were named Seal Islands by James Grant in in January 1801.^[2]

Flora & fauna

The islands are a major Australian Fur Seal colony. Approximately 5000 pups are born on Seal Rocks each year  - 25% of the Australian population.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Warneke . Robert M. . Dann . Peter . Birds of Seal Rocks in northern Bass Strait over 40 years (1965-2005) . The Victorian Naturalist . 130 . 1 . 4–21 . 2013 .
2. Book: Grant, James. James Grant (navigator). The narrative of a voyage of discovery, performed in His Majesty's vessel the Lady Nelson, of sixty tons burthen: with sliding keels, in the years 1800, 1801, and 1802, to New South Wales. 24 January 2012. 1803. 123. Printed by C. Roworth for T. Egerton. 978-0-7243-0036-5.
3. Rebecca R. . McIntosh . Steve P.. Kirkman . Sam. Thalmann . Duncan R.. Sutherland . Anthony . Mitchell . John P. Y. . Arnould . Marcus . Salton . David J.. Slip . Peter . Dann . Roger. Kirkwood . Understanding meta-population trends of the Australian fur seal, with insights for adaptive monitoring . PLOS ONE . 13 . 9 . 2018 . e0200253 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0200253 . 30183713 . 2018PLoSO..1300253M . free . 6124711 .