New Zealand fur seals splash through tidal pools at Cape Foulwind, near Westport. Female fur seals live in the same colony all their lives, mating in December, giving birth the following November, with lots of fishing trips to sea. There are now about 75,000 fur seals in New Zealand, which have recovered from hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s, to meet a demand for furry top hats among European gentry.