Neil the Seal

Neil (born October 2020),^[1] also known as Neil the Seal, is a southern elephant seal in the Australian state of Tasmania.^[2][3] He was born in Salem Bay, Tasmania.^[4]

Neil

Species	Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina)
Born	October 2020 (age 4)
Residence	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Weight	600 kg (1,323 lb; 94 st 7 lb)

Neil gained fame in July 2022 after resting in Hobart for his month-long moulting period. While most people kept a safe distance, incidents of humans disturbing the seal led to traffic cones placed to protect him. Neil, playing with the traffic cones, attracted more attention to his unusual behavior.^[2][5]

Later events saw Neil more closely interacting with humans, often leaving the beach and resting on the city's roads, or even following people.^[2] In one instance in 2023, Neil was found basking in someone's front lawn for a few hours,^[3] while another instance downing a fence in Dunalley.^[5] He was relocated in April 2023 after people and dogs harassed him in Kingston Beach.^[6][7]

Neil is an internet celebrity, having, at the moment of editing, 154,000 followers on Instagram under the username "neiltheseal22" as of January 20, 2024,^[5][8] and over 730,000 followers on TikTok as of January 3, 2024.^[1]

He is being monitored by the Marine Conservation Program, established by Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, for health and safety reasons.^[2][9]

References

1. "The Chaotic Antics of Neil the Seal Could Totally Happen in New England". WOKQ. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
2. Ross, Selina (July 28, 2022). "Neil the seal has been hanging around homes for a month — and the locals are trying to protect him". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
3. Touma, Rafqa (November 14, 2023). "Neil the 600kg seal stops Tasmanian woman going to work after taking nap in front of her car". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
4. Moench, Mallory (December 22, 2023). "The Internet's Newest Sensation Is Tasmania's Neil the Seal". Time. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
5. Shafiq, Saman (December 22, 2023). "'Neil the Seal', Tasmania's elephant seal, becomes a viral Internet sensation". USA Today. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
6. "Goodbye Neil". Tasmanian Times. April 29, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
7. Albeck-Ripka, Livia (December 19, 2023). "Tasmania Falls for Neil the Seal, a 1,000-Pound Beach Bum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
8. "neiltheseal22". Instagram. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
9. "Marine Mammal Incident Response | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania". nre.tas.gov.au.