Neil the Elephant Seal Returns to Sea – For Now
The one-tonne southern elephant seal named Neil, who caused traffic jams and became a social media sensation in Tasmania, has returned to sea.
Neil, a five-year-old southern elephant seal weighing about one tonne, appears to have returned to the sea after spending several weeks at his usual haul-out spot in southern Tasmania.
Viral videos of Neil crushing road signs and poles, as well as lounging on suburban streets, have been viewed millions of times on social media and attracted streams of visitors to the otherwise sleepy coastal town.
Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) said on Thursday that Neil appeared to have left the area. "Neil the Seal returned safely to sea last night. This is his natural behaviour and was expected," the department said in a statement. They added that he may still return or haul out at a nearby location in the short term, or head off to southern feeding grounds.
The NRE said its marine conservation program is monitoring the situation, but authorities were unable to directly track Neil. An NRE spokesperson told the Guardian that a satellite tracking device attached to Neil in 2023 fell off during his annual moult "as expected and was recovered in 2024." Neil has not been tracked since 2024, as attaching a tracking device is usually done during a specific need.
When Neil was still trackable, data showed that he spent six months at sea, foraging over 1,600 km from south-west Tasmania, covering a distance of more than 5,000 km during the round trip. "This is normal behaviour for a young male southern elephant seal," they said.
Neil's departure came as crowds of visitors flocking to see the local celebrity reached potentially dangerous levels. Wildlife authorities issued a firm warning, telling people to keep their distance and saying euthanasia was a last resort if public safety could not be guaranteed.
Neil was born in southern Tasmania without a colony and is pre-programmed to return to the area twice a year to rest and moult. Tasmania's southern elephant seal colonies were wiped out by sealers in the 1800s, and most breed on Macquarie and Heard Islands.
Kris Carlyon, head of wildlife health and marine life at NRE, said Neil was "potentially one of the first southern elephant seal pups to be born back in Tasmania." "Regardless of the resource burden and the challenges that Neil throws, we're pleased to see him," he said.
Local authorities have asked anyone who spots Neil to contact the marine mammal hotline. The public has been reminded to keep at least 20 metres away, keep dogs on a lead at least 50 metres away, and avoid blocking his access to water.
"We'll keep an eye out for him but otherwise the traffic cones and street signs of Tasmania can breathe a small sigh of relief," Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Thursday. "A big well done for everyone that has treated big Neil with respect and caution while he's been on land."
