Geographic variation in at-sea movements, habitat use and diving behaviour of female Cape fur seals

Knowledge of animal foraging behaviour has implications for management and conservation. While Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus comprise a major proportion of the southern African marine predator biomass, little is known about their at-sea movements. We investigated foraging distribution, habitat use and diving behaviour for 35 adult female Cape fur seals from 3 breeding colonies experiencing contrasting oceanographic regimes. Animals from Black Rocks, the smallest and eastern-most colony, undertook shorter foraging trips and utilised shallower waters over the shelf. In comparison, animals from the larger west coast colonies, at Kleinsee and False Bay, travelled further and utilised deeper shelf and shelf-slope waters. However, across colonies, females typically preferred depths of