Mammals
Juan Fernandez Fur Seal
Arctocephalus philippii · also called Juan Fernandez fur seals
Believed extinct for decades after relentless historical hunting, a Juan Fernandez fur seal owes its continued existence to a single small colony rediscovered in 1965 on a remote Chilean island group, its population since rebuilding into the tens of thousands.
Overview
The Juan Fernandez fur seal, Arctocephalus philippii, is a Near Threatened marine mammal native to ocean and coastal habitat in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, breeding primarily on the Juan Fernandez Islands. Its dramatic presumed extinction and 1965 rediscovery, deep and far-ranging diving habits, and endemic island range make it one of the more remarkable recovery stories among fur seal species found anywhere in the world.
A second chance found decades later
For years, the Juan Fernandez fur seal was assumed gone entirely, a casualty of relentless historical hunting, until researchers confirmed a small surviving colony still clinging to existence on one remote island group, setting in motion a recovery that continues today.
Status
Near Threatened, having grown substantially since its 1965 rediscovery, recovering from a tiny surviving colony into a population now numbering in the tens of thousands.
Juan Fernandez Fur Seal: common questions
Was the Juan Fernandez fur seal ever thought to be extinct?
Yes, this species was hunted so intensively during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that it was believed extinct for decades, with no confirmed sightings until it was rediscovered in 1965.
Where was the Juan Fernandez fur seal rediscovered?
This species was rediscovered in 1965, when a small surviving colony was found on the remote Juan Fernandez Islands off the coast of Chile, sparking a slow population recovery.
How much has the Juan Fernandez fur seal population recovered?
This species has rebuilt from a tiny surviving population numbering only in the low hundreds at rediscovery into a much larger population now numbering in the tens of thousands today.
How deep can the Juan Fernandez fur seal dive?
This species is known to dive to considerable depths and travel far offshore in search of squid, covering more open ocean than many other fur seal species typically range during foraging trips.