Neil the Seal: Marine Biologist's Take on the Viral Sensation

Summary

In this video, marine biologist KP discusses the internet sensation 'Neil the Seal,' a juvenile Southern Elephant Seal known for playful antics. Despite his cuteness, KP warns of the dangers of human interaction, highlighting the need for conservation and respect for wildlife, especially during breeding season.

Takeaways

• 🐾 The hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' has gained over fifty million views on TikTok, showcasing the seal's playful antics.
• 🌊 Neil is a Southern Elephant Seal, known for being the largest living pinnipeds.
• 🐘 Male Southern elephant seals can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds, making them massive compared to other marine mammals.
• 🌐 Southern elephant seals are among the deepest diving animals, capable of diving up to 3,000 feet in search of food.
• 🐧 Neil was born in 2020 near Hobart, Tasmania, and was tagged by the Marine Conservation Program, indicating his age and origin.
• 👦 Despite being a juvenile, Neil displays behaviors typical of adult male seals, including rearing up and lunging, which can be dangerous as they grow.
• 🚫 Wildlife experts and officials are concerned about the public's interaction with Neil, urging people to keep their distance to avoid harm.
• 🐳 The story of Freya, a juvenile walrus, serves as a cautionary tale of how human interaction can lead to tragic outcomes for wildlife.
• 📈 Neil's popularity has brought attention to the Southern Elephant Seal, a threatened species, and the need for marine mammal conservation.
• 🌳 Neil's interactions, while often harmless, highlight the importance of respecting wildlife and their natural behaviors, especially during the breeding season.
• 📹 The public can support wildlife conservation by following guidelines to maintain a safe distance from seals like Neil and supporting conservation programs.

Q & A

What is the hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' associated with?

The hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' is associated with a Southern Elephant Seal named Neil who has gained popularity on TikTok with over fifty million views for his antics like playing with traffic cones, crossing roads, and napping on people's lawns.

Why are wildlife officials and experts alarmed by Neil the Seal's popularity?

Wildlife officials and experts are alarmed because Neil's interactions with humans could lead to dangerous situations, as he is a wild animal and can be aggressive, especially during the breeding season.

What type of seal is Neil?

Neil is a Southern Elephant Seal, which is the largest living pinniped.

How large can male Southern Elephant Seals grow?

Male Southern Elephant Seals can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds.

What is unique about Southern Elephant Seals' diving abilities?

Southern Elephant Seals are one of the deepest diving animals on the planet, routinely diving up to 3,000 feet in search of large fish and squid.

What is the significance of the 'proboscis' in male elephant seals?

The proboscis is a large, inflatable nose used by male elephant seals to produce a drum-like noise to vocally threaten each other and scare away weaker males during mating season.

What is the current status of Southern Elephant Seals in Australia?

Southern Elephant Seals are a threatened species in Australia, with unexplained declines in subpopulations in the Pacific Ocean since the 1950s, although the population is currently considered stable.

Why is Neil practicing fighting behaviors despite being a juvenile?

Neil is practicing fighting behaviors as it is a natural instinct for male elephant seals, even though he is not yet sexually mature and does not have the full-sized proboscis.

What was the fate of Freya, the juvenile walrus?

Freya was euthanized after becoming a threat to humans due to people not heeding warnings to stay away from her, despite her popularity on social media.

What measures are being taken to protect Neil the Seal?

Wildlife officials and the Marine Conservation Program are urging the public to keep their distance from Neil, report acts of animal cruelty, and follow guidelines to stay 20 meters (65 feet) away from him at all times.

How can the popularity of Neil the Seal be used positively?

The popularity of Neil can be used to raise awareness about Southern Elephant Seals, highlight the importance of marine mammal conservation, and inspire people to support wildlife projects like the Marine Conservation Program.

Outlines

00:00

🐋 Neil the Seal: Internet Sensation and Concerns

Neil the Seal, a Southern Elephant Seal, has become an internet sensation with over fifty million views on TikTok for his playful antics such as playing with traffic cones and napping in front lawns. Despite his cuteness, wildlife experts like marine biologist KP express alarm. Southern Elephant Seals are the largest living pinnipeds, with males reaching up to 20 feet in length and 8,800 pounds in weight. Neil, estimated to weigh between 1,000 to 1,300 pounds, is not yet fully grown and is practicing bull elephant seal fighting behaviors. Born in 2020 near Hobart, Tasmania, he was tagged by the Marine Conservation Program. The concern is that public interaction could lead to dangerous situations, similar to the case of Freya the walrus, who was euthanized due to human interference.

05:01

🚫 Public Interaction with Neil: A Growing Concern

Despite warnings from the Tasmania Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Marine Conservation Program, people continue to approach and interact with Neil the Seal, disregarding the potential dangers. Instances of harassment, such as poking and prodding with sticks, have been reported, prompting interventions to relocate Neil and maintain his privacy. Wildlife officials emphasize the need for people to keep a safe distance and respect the natural behavior of this wild animal, especially during the breeding season when seals can be aggressive. The public's fascination with Neil has also brought attention to the Southern Elephant Seal species, which is threatened in Australia. The unexplained decline in their Pacific Ocean subpopulations since the 1950s is a concern, and efforts are being made to stabilize and increase their numbers. The viral videos of Neil can be used to raise awareness about marine mammal conservation and support projects like the Marine Conservation Program.

Keywords

💡Neil the Seal

Neil the Seal is a Southern Elephant Seal that has gained significant attention on social media platforms like TikTok, particularly for his playful behavior with traffic cones and interactions with humans. The video script discusses the concerns surrounding his interactions with the public, highlighting the potential dangers of human-wildlife encounters. Neil's story serves as a cautionary tale about the impact of human fascination on wildlife behavior and conservation.

💡Southern Elephant Seal

The Southern Elephant Seal is the largest living pinniped, characterized by its massive size and deep diving capabilities. Males can reach up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 8,800 pounds. The script emphasizes the impressive size and strength of these seals, using Neil as an example to illustrate their potential to cause harm, especially when they are not fully grown or in the breeding season.

💡Marine Biologist

KP, the narrator of the video, is a marine biologist with extensive experience working with various marine mammals, including seals. The role of a marine biologist is crucial in understanding and communicating the behavior and needs of marine animals, which is evident in the video as KP provides insights into the natural behaviors and conservation challenges of Southern Elephant Seals.

💡Molting

Molting is the process by which animals shed their old fur or skin and grow new ones. In the context of the video, it is mentioned that elephant seals come onto land primarily to molt and reproduce. This behavior is significant as it explains why Neil, despite being a wild animal, is seen on land and not solely in the ocean.

💡Breeding Season

The breeding season is a critical period for many animals, including Southern Elephant Seals, where they engage in mating rituals and territorial displays. The video script highlights that even juvenile seals like Neil exhibit aggressive behaviors during this time, which can pose risks to humans who get too close.

💡Proboscis

The proboscis is a large, inflatable nose found in male elephant seals, used to produce loud drum-like noises as a form of vocal threat during mating competition. The script mentions that Neil, being a juvenile, does not yet have a fully developed proboscis, but is already exhibiting some of the behaviors associated with its use.

💡Marine Conservation Program

The Marine Conservation Program is mentioned in the script as an organization involved in tagging and monitoring marine animals like Neil. This program plays a vital role in conservation efforts, helping to protect and manage marine species and their habitats. The script also discusses the challenges faced by such programs in managing the public's interactions with wildlife.

💡Human-Wildlife Interaction

Human-wildlife interaction refers to the encounters between humans and wild animals, which can have both positive and negative impacts. The video script discusses the dangers of such interactions, particularly when humans do not respect the animals' space and natural behaviors, leading to potential harm for both parties.

💡Threatened Species

A threatened species is one that is at risk of becoming extinct due to various factors, including habitat loss and human activities. The script mentions that Southern Elephant Seals are a threatened species in Australia, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts and public awareness in protecting these animals.

💡Conservation

Conservation refers to the protection and management of natural resources, including wildlife, to ensure their survival and ecological balance. The video script emphasizes the need for conservation efforts, particularly in the context of Neil the Seal and the broader Southern Elephant Seal population, to ensure their long-term survival and well-being.

💡Public Awareness

Public awareness is crucial in conservation efforts, as it helps to educate people about the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats. The video script uses Neil's story to raise awareness about the Southern Elephant Seals and the need for responsible behavior when encountering wildlife, encouraging viewers to support conservation initiatives.

Highlights

Hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' has over fifty million views on TikTok.

Neil the Seal is a Southern Elephant Seal, the largest living pinnipeds.

Male Southern elephant seals can be 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds.

Southern elephant seals are one of the deepest diving animals on the planet.

Elephant seals only come onto land to molt their fur and to reproduce.

Bull elephant seals establish territories and use their proboscis to vocally threaten each other.

Neil is not fully grown and reportedly weighs around 1,000 - 1,300 lbs.

Neil was born in 2020 on the southern tip of Tasmania near Hobart.

Male Southern elephant seals reach sexual maturity around 6 years old.

Neil practices bull elephant fighting behaviors despite being a baby.

Wildlife officials and experts are alarmed by the public's interaction with Neil.

Freya, a juvenile walrus, was euthanized due to human interaction, highlighting the danger for Neil.

People in Tasmania are not respecting warnings to keep away from Neil.

There have been instances of people harassing Neil, leading to interventions to relocate him.

Neil's videos can be used to showcase his species and highlight marine mammal conservation.

The population of Southern Elephant Seals is currently considered stable, but there has been an unexplained decline in the Pacific Ocean subpopulations.

We can use Neil's popularity to inspire people to protect marine mammals and support wildlife projects.

It's important to give Neil space and follow guidelines to stay 20 meters away from him.

Transcripts

Hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' has

over fifty million views on TikTok.

If you're on social media and love wildlife,

then I'm pretty confident you've seen

videos of Neil the Seal playing with traffic cones,

galumphing across roads,

or napping in people's front lawns.

While these antics have

taken the internet by storm,

wildlife officials and experts

are actually pretty alarmed.

And I'm gonna tell you why.

I'm KP, a marine biologist

with over a decade's worth of experience

working with sea lions, walruses,

and of course - seals.

(background music)

Let's start with some important facts

about Neil the Seal.

Neil is a Southern Elephant Seal,

which are the largest living pinnipeds

- and it's actually not even close.

Male Stellar sea lions like the one you see here

can grow up to 11 feet long

and weigh around 2,500 pounds.

(background music) (water splashing sounds)

(- KP: "Good job, chunky monkey!") (background music)

Walruses get to about 12 feet long

and between 4 and 5 thousand pounds.

Southern elephant seals are often

twice the size of a full-grown walrus

and four times as big as

the juvenile male walrus that I work with.

(background music)

Male southern elephant seals can be 20 feet long

and weigh up to 8,800 pounds.

To put this in perspective,

check out this video of a male elephant seal

absolutely demolishing a car.

(background music) Oh my gosh,

They're so big, look at this dummy -

like do you know how easy it would be

to get crushed by that?

(background music)

Southern elephant seals are also one of the

deepest diving animals on the planet.

They routinely dive up to 3,000 feet

in search of large fish and squid -

which I go into in greater depths

in a video right up here.

(background music)

Is it left hand?

(DoubleAgentXV: "It's your left hand".)

- KP: Great!

And don't forget to 'like' and subscribe

if you enjoy learning about marine mammals.

These seals will spend months and months

hunting in the open ocean,

and foraging areas that are often

several thousand miles away from land.

In fact, elephant seals only come onto land

to molt their fur and to reproduce.

Bull elephant seals usually arrive

at the mating grounds

in December through January

where they establish territories.

They'll use their large

inflatable nose called a 'proboscis'

to produce a noise that sounds like a drum

as a way to vocally threaten each other

and scare away weaker males.

(background music) (southern elephant seals vocalizing)

When this doesn't work,

the males will engage in vicious fights

that can last days and often result

in bloody injuries and lifelong scars.

(background music) (southern elephant seals vocalizing)

Which brings us to Neil.

You can clearly see from the videos

that Neil is not fully grown.

He reportedly weighs around 1,000 - 1,300 lbs.

So nowhere near the 8,800 lbs

of a full-grown bull.

He also doesn't have that big proboscis yet.

That's because he's just a baby.

So this is actually Neil practicing

some of those bull elephant fighting behaviors.

(KP chuckles)

That rearing up and lunging

at this traffic thing -

I don't even know what it is...um...

(background music)

(KP scoffs)

(background music)

It looks adorable because he's tiny

but it's actually terrifying when they're bigger.

(background music) (sound effects)

Neil was born in 2020

on the southern tip of Tasmania near Hobart,

where he was tagged by

the Marine Conservation Program.

(background music)

I'm assuming that's what's on top of his head?

(camera clicking sound effect)

(background music)

So he's only about 3 years old.

Male Southern elephant seals

don't usually reach sexual maturity

until they're around 6 years old.

And won't even begin competing with other bulls

until they're closer to 10.

(background music) (southern elephant seals vocalizing)

Even though Neil isn't sexually mature,

he still has that natural instinct

to come onto land during the breeding season.

But given his youth and age,

he doesn't stand a chance

against a full-grown bull.

He might even have tried to haul out

on one of the breeding beaches

but even if he did,

the bulls would have chased him away.

Which is why we see him

menacing the locals of Tasmania.

Oh and now we're mad at this traffic cone.

Oh...oh it's an evil traffic cone!

(background music) (KP laughs)

So yeah, poor Neil -

he can't hold his own against a big male

so he's gonna take on this traffic cone instead.

(background music)

And that brings me to why

myself and other wildlife experts are concerned.

Remember Freya?

She was a juvenile walrus

who became a popular attraction

in the heavily populated Oslo fjord.

(background music)

Just like Neil,

she became an internet sensation

with videos of her sinking boats

going viral on social media.

Wildlife authorities and

the Norwegian government

begged people to stay away from Freya

and give her space,

but despite these warnings,

people kept getting dangerously

close to the young walrus.

And even trying to swim with her.

(background music)

Eventually, officials determined that

Freya was a threat to humans

and so she was euthanized.

All because humans failed

to listen to repeated warnings

to stay away from her.

The same thing is happening with Neil.

(background music)

In Tasmania, the Department of

Natural Resources and Environment

and Marine Conservation Program

have repeatedly told people

to keep themselves and their pets

away from Neil.

But as you can see in these videos,

people aren't listening.

(background music) (sound effect)

But yeah, like stay away from him.

(background music)

There's just no need to be that close.

You know when...

(background music)

Do you know how zoomed in

I can get on this camera?

Like I don't need to be anywhere near

any of these creatures to get

just like a brilliant video.

Like, we have smartphones now -

there's no need to get up in there.

This is like the...

(background music)

This is like Tasmania's version of

Yellowstone National Park where people

are walking up and like, touching bison.

(background music)

(screaming in clip)

According to the TIME magazine,

there have been at least three instances

of people harassing Neil

by poking and prodding him with sticks

and even touching him,

leading wildlife officials to urge the public

to report potential acts of animal cruelty.

This has resulted in several interventions

to relocate Neil and try to

keep the seal's location private.

And this person is actually with the

Marine Conservation Program so

obviously they know what they're doing,

but you can just tell very clearly by Neil's posture

that he is uncomfortable

and angry in this situation.

But it looks like they're probably

trying to relocate him -

this is a trained professional here.

(background music) (sound effect)

As cute as Neil is, he is a wild animal.

It's also the breeding season,

where even juveniles like Neil

can be extremely aggressive and dangerous.

(background music)

He's kinda getting his little proboscis

coming in a little bit!

(background music)

Can see him inflating a little bit.

So this is posturing -

like he's definitely saying that

he doesn't want this person

to be as close as they are.

(background music) (person in clip, high-pitched voice: "What are you doing?!")

Yeah - and then he chases them.

(background music) (indistinct, but in sing-song voice)

Predictable.

(background music)

Um...just leave Neil alone.

On the other hand,

there are absolutely a lot of

positive things about Neil the Seal.

Videos of him are fun

and most of them are harmless interactions.

Neil, just chillin', just having a little belly scratch,

(background music)

in the front yard,

(background music)

sunny day,

(background music)

have a little snot on the lawn.

Beautiful.

They've brought a lot of interest

in Southern Elephant Seals,

who are a threatened species in Australia.

(background music)

Since the 1950s,

there has been an unexplained decline

in the subpopulations of Southern Elephant Seals

in the Pacific Ocean.

The reason for the decline is currently unknown.

Thankfully, the population

is currently considered stable,

and we want to keep it that way.

We want Neil to grow up

to be one of those massive bulls

who has a harem of 40 - 50 females

so that the population can continue to rebound.

(background music)

We can also use these viral videos of Neil

to showcase his species and highlight

the importance of marine mammal conservation.

We can bring attention to the

unique threats and dangers

that these seals face,

and we can use his videos

to hopefully inspire people

to take the steps necessary

to protect them by supporting wildlife projects

like the Marine Conservation Program.

We can also follow the program's guidelines

and stay 20 meters or 65 feet away

from Neil at all times,

and give him the space he needs

to simply be a seal.

(background music)

When they stand up like that, it's just wild.

(background music)

(DoubleAgentXV: "Yeah can you explain like how the posturing -

like sitting up like that - what that means?")

Standing up like that is

just very much their fighting posture,

so that's just what they do -

that's what the males do.

I don't know if the females do it or not

but that's just very quintessential

like, male fighting behavior.

There's just so much of that

that's just like instinctual, right.

You know, just - for whatever reason,

elephant seals just like to

kick the crap out of things.

(background music)

Any kind of object

that is, like, large and in their way,

they are just going to beat it into submission.

Instinctively, they are just like ass-kickers

(laughs).

I don't know how else to describe it.