“Royal penguins breed only on Macquarie Island and, like other penguins, spend much of their time at sea. The breeding season begins in September with laying starting in October. It builds its nest by making a shallow hole in the sand or in a weeded area and putting plants and stones inside the nest. Two eggs are most often laid, however only one survives. The egg is kept warm by both parents for 35 days, which is done by rotating 12 day shifts. After hatching, the male watches out for the chick for 10 to 20 days and the female brings food for both of them. At around 20 days, the chick will form a home for warmth and safety and the parents continue to feed it two to three times a day, but when the chick is about 65 days old it will have its adult feathers and goes off on its own.”

“One of two species of elephant seal, there are significant numbers of the southern elephant seal on Macquarie Island. It is not only the most massive pinniped, but also the largest member of the order Carnivora to ever have lived. The seal gets its name from its great size and the large proboscis of the adult males, which is used to make extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season. The males are much larger than the females, with females averaging about 680kg and 3m in length and bulls growing to around 3,600kg and 7m long.”