Neil the Seal

Neil
SpeciesSouthern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina)
BornOctober 2020 (age 5)
ResidenceHobart, Tasmania, Australia
Weight600 kg (1,323 lb; 94 st 7 lb)

Neil (born October 2020),[1] also known as Neil the Seal, is a southern elephant seal in the Australian state of Tasmania.[2][3] He was born in Salem Bay, Tasmania.[4]

Neil gained fame in July 2022 after resting in Hobart for his month-long moulting period. While most people kept a safe distance, incidents of humans disturbing the seal led to traffic cones placed to protect him. Neil, playing with the traffic cones, attracted more attention to his unusual behavior.[2][5]

Later events saw Neil more closely interacting with humans, often leaving the beach and resting on the city's roads, or even following people.[2] In one instance in 2023, Neil was found basking in someone's front lawn for a few hours in Hobart, preventing a local woman from accessing her car.[3] He was later relocated in April 2023 by officials of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment after people and dogs harassed him in Kingston Beach,[6][7] but by December 2023 he had reappeared roughly 70 miles away in the town of Dunalley, where local news reported his continued interactions with locals,[8] as well as the downing of a fence.[5]

He was reportedly seen again in good health near Hobart as recently as May 2025, though local news requested that his exact location no longer be shared for his own protection.[9]

Neil is an internet celebrity, having 154,000 followers on Instagram under the username "neiltheseal22" as of February 28, 2025,[5][10] and over 1,300,000 followers on TikTok as of December 15, 2025.[1]

He is being monitored by the Marine Conservation Program, established by Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, for health and safety reasons.[2][11]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Chaotic Antics of Neil the Seal Could Totally Happen in New England". WOKQ. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Ross, Selina (July 28, 2022). "Neil the seal has been hanging around homes for a month — and the locals are trying to protect him". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Touma, Rafqa (November 14, 2023). "Neil the 600kg seal stops Tasmanian woman going to work after taking nap in front of her car". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  4. ^ Moench, Mallory (December 22, 2023). "The Internet's Newest Sensation Is Tasmania's Neil the Seal". Time. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Shafiq, Saman (December 22, 2023). "'Neil the Seal', Tasmania's elephant seal, becomes a viral Internet sensation". USA Today. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  6. ^ "Goodbye Neil". Tasmanian Times. April 29, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Albeck-Ripka, Livia (December 19, 2023). "Tasmania Falls for Neil the Seal, a 1,000-Pound Beach Bum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  8. ^ "Neil the seal goes viral on social media, menacing locals in Dunalley, Tasmania". Seven News. December 16, 2023.
  9. ^ "Neil the southern elephant seal returns to Tasmania". Seven News. May 23, 2025.
  10. ^ "neiltheseal22". Instagram. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  11. ^ "Marine Mammal Incident Response | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania". nre.tas.gov.au.
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