An elephant seal that has travelled about 4,000 kilometres from the southern Antarctic region has delighted locals in Western Australia's South West, after settling into a temporary home in Augusta.
In a rare surprise for the town, the southern elephant seal has taken refuge at one of the local beaches and, after several weeks, is yet to make the long journey back home.
Barb Wall moved to Augusta a week ago from the Blue Mountains region in New South Wales.
She has been down every day to check on the animal with her wife, Maureen Gale, who has even come up with a name for the new Augusta local.
"My wife Maureen decided that because no-one else seemed to know his name she would call him Big Gus because he is quite huge, and after Augusta — the Gus in Augusta," Ms Wall said.
"We're calling him Big Gus anyway, for what it's worth."
She said it had been "humbling and quite emotional" to watch the seal make itself at home on the beach.
"Nothing could quite prepare us for seeing this majestic animal in real life. He is just beautiful and quite huge," Ms Wall said.
"I have never seen anything like this.
"It is a very rare event, particularly in this part of the world, and I think this has touched everyone."
A rare sighting far from home
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has also been checking in on the southern elephant seal daily since its arrival.
Ngari Capes Marine Park coordinator David Lierich said the animal was thousands of kilometres from home and likely "a bit lost".
He said it had come ashore to moult.
"We usually get these guys come ashore every few years," Mr Lierich said.
"Every year they moult, shed their skin and their fur, to help protect their skin … this [process] usually lasts about a month."
Mr Lierich urged people to keep clear of the elephant seal, but said it was an exciting time for the community.
"If they're threatened they can get aggressive and they can move quite fast, especially if people get between the seal and the water because they haven't got any escape route," he said.
"We love it when [unusual] animals come to the coast.
"It's a good way for everyone to learn about these kinds of animals, and it's a pretty cool part of the job to help in that process."
