Porky the southern elephant seal has splashed back into his oceanic adventuring after a pitstop in KZN.
Gqeberha, South Africa (27 May 2026) – Our favourite subantarctic ‘sea-lebrity’ is back where he belongs!
Porky, the young southern elephant seal, has wrapped up his rehab pitstop and made a splashy return to the deep blue.
We reported on the chubby young traveller last week. Porky had stopped along the shore near Port Shepstone. He was exhausted from a thousand-kilometre journey from the subantarctic region, but human activity near where he had chosen to ‘haul out’ had made it difficult for him to rest.
His rescue and release was a coordinated effort between the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) and uShaka Marine World, along with the KZN Marine Stranding Network, Bayworld PE, and the South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise.
Porky was given a safe place to relax undisturbed, before he was set free to sea again.
“Porky, the feisty young Southern elephant seal that stole hearts on the KZN South Coast last week, has now been successfully transported to Gqeberha and released on a quiet Eastern Cape beach with the assistance of Bayworld.” shares SAAMBR.
Porky received parting gifts before he hit the surf. Seal expert Dr Greg Hofmeyr fitted the young male with a pair of flipper tags. These will help marine scientists identify him in the future, whether he’s back home near Marion Island or deciding to make another welcomed pitstop on our coast.
After hitching a ride down to the Eastern Cape, Porky proved he is a seal of action.
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Over many years, marine experts have found that releasing young elephant seals in the quieter, less crowded areas of the Eastern Cape gives these incredible ocean travellers the best chance of navigating their way back toward their true southern ocean home ranges.
While Porky’s health is in great condition, his care team also made sure he was fully prepared for the journey ahead by giving him a precautionary rabies vaccination. It’s a vital part of a broader biosecurity programme for vagrant seals.
“In recent years, South Africa has recorded the world’s first known rabies outbreak in a marine mammal population, affecting Cape fur seals along parts of our coastline. Scientists believe the virus may originally have crossed from black-backed jackals to seals, and it is now known to spread between seals in colonies.”
By vaccinating wandering ocean hitchhikers like Porky, scientists can significantly reduce the risk of the virus spreading if they happen to bump into infected colonies during their epic travels.
SAAMBR notes that this situation serves as an important reminder for all beachgoers.
“It also highlights why stranded or resting marine wildlife should always be given space and handled only by trained authorities and stranding networks”
The organisation left their travelling friend with well wishes and us with a video of his release, captured on camera by a Bayworld staff member:
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