May 14: The front gate

Our station is surrounded by a wooden fence, complete with farm gate on the track to the Isthmus, designed to keep out the four tonne Beachmasters, the male elephant seals, which will arrive in spring.  For now it hangs open, as most of the seals on station are small enough to squeeze through the gaps anyway.
It is not that we don't want visitors, it is just that they lean up against the warm buildings......and four tonne is a lot of seal!

The Macquarie Island front gate. Photo: Jacque Comery

The map on the front gate. Photo: Jacque Comery

Elephant seal detail on the front gate. Photo: Jacque Comery

Fur seal detail on the front gate. Photo: Jacque Comery