A VISITOR flying a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle was the latest incident involving the harassment of the seals at the haul-out site across from Australia Rock.
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The seals have become a popular tourist attraction as up to a dozen or more are often basking on the rocks directly below the pathway out onto the southern breakwater at the inlet entrance.
A group of up to 20 tourists watching the seals at 12noon Monday was dismayed when a man started flying a drone directly at the seals causing them distress and making them dash back into the water.
One couple confronted the man, took his photo and got his car’s licence plate number, which they provided to National Parks in Narooma.
Area manager Preston Cope said this was only the latest example of the seals being harassed with youths on other occasions throwing rocks at the seals and otherwise approaching them too closely.
He confirmed that drones were classified as aircraft and as such regulations stipulated that aircraft could only come within 300 metres of seals.
While on land the stipulated distance was 40 metres, although in the case of the Narooma location, staying on the pathway and not climbing over onto the rocks was all that could be expected.
National Parks will be following up through with the drone pilot’s car registration and also continue to conduct regular patrol of the breakwater seal haul-out site.
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