I looked straight into the eyes of something you would not expect in a forest: some 300 pounds of NZ sea lion female! New Zealand's nature and wild landscapes always had this magic spell on me.

Conservation success means the endangered New Zealand sea lions are beginning to return to the mainland, sometimes to be stumbled upon by hikers in the forest. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert!

Otago, New Zealand Info from Licensor: "Cutely interrupted while I was taking a walk along the beach. I lay down in the sand about 10 meters away from a sea lions and her pups. The sea lions came up ...

In the waters around New Zealand - as many countries - animals including sea birds, dolphins, penguins and sea lions are routinely ending up in commercial fishing nets along with the intended catch.