seal.watch / chile

Chile · public record

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Chile · observation

Playa del Deporte, Viña del Mar

· Valparaíso

Joaquín Bizama photographed a leopard seal resting on the beach in Viña del Mar on 12 September. News coverage places the encounter at Playa del Deporte. The date records this photographic observation; the animal’s first arrival is uncertain. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/399902699

Species
Leopard seal
Number of seals
1
Attributed name
Unidentified
Source
Joaquín Bizama / iNaturalist; Radio Cooperativa

About this record

Supporting evidence
iNaturalist records 12 September 2026 at 19:22, uploaded 13 September. The photo and location support a dated observation of the same event. ADN calls an earlier sighting Friday; Quinta Visión says Saturday. First arrival remains uncertain. Research grade is source metadata, not independent confirmation.
Identification confidence
Not recorded
Editorial status
Published by Seal Watch.

Source wording, attributed names and approximate date labels are preserved. A published report does not establish a verified animal identity.

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Other reports with the same broad area or attributed name.

Valparaíso Region coast

South American fur seals were photographed resting on rocks beside the sea on the Valparaíso Region coast. The iNaturalist community identifies the observation as Arctocephalus australis. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/402080851

Source: Gabriela Cartes / iNaturalist

Valparaíso (approximate source location)

Caio_Preissler (caio_preissler) recorded this encounter on iNaturalist. Photograph shows sea lions on rocks beneath a waterfront structure. The source’s positional accuracy is about 5.9 km. The source identification is Otaria flavescens. Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/260318712

Source: iNaturalist — Caio_Preissler (caio_preissler)

Viña del Mar, Valparaíso

Mhairi McFarlane (mhairimcf) recorded this encounter on iNaturalist. Photograph shows a sea lion hauled out on coastal stones. The source identification is Otaria flavescens. Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195703644

Source: iNaturalist — Mhairi McFarlane (mhairimcf)

Valparaíso area (source location obscured)

rodknee_magiccdonald recorded this encounter on iNaturalist. Photograph shows a sea lion on a rock at the water’s edge. The source obscures its location; no exact site is assigned. The source identification is Otaria flavescens. Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/145554249

Source: iNaturalist — rodknee_magiccdonald