Watch baby seals use a waterfall as a creche in New Zealand
BABY seals have turned an inland waterfall into their personal swimming pool despite it being more than a mile from the coast.
Baby seals at the Ohau Waterfall in New Zealand
Those who visit the Ohau Waterfall in New Zealand will see dozens of baby seals who are understood to be taking refuge from predators and rough seas.
The fur seals found here are unique to New Zealand and were once nearly wiped out by sealers selling them for food.
Visitors can get very close to wild sea pups
Living here every time you go outside there is something to see
The beautiful waterfall is the only place in the world where such behaviour has been observed.
It is also one of few places where animal lovers can interact with seal pups in the wild.
Most of the baby seals are born during November and December and make their way up the Ohau stream to the waterfall in mid April.
The best time to visit the Ohau Waterfall is between May and October
While the pups frolic and play in the fresh waters, their mothers go out to sea to find food and return to feed their offspring.
Former BBC cameraman Paul Boocock, who took pictures and footage of the seals, said: "Living here every time you go outside there is something to see, sperm whales, dusky dolphins and there are leopard seals on the beach.
"The waterfall is a 10-minute drive up the road but it takes the seals about half-an-hour to get up there from the beach.
The seals appear to be taking refuge from predators and rough seas
"It's the only place in the world that they do this, it's become a day care centre for the babies to go and they can be there for months."
The best time to visit the Ohau Waterfall is between May and October, when hundreds of seals can be seen hanging out along the stream and at the waterfall.
The baby seals are left by their mothers while they look for food