The Seal Cove Reserve, as the name suggests, is home to the island's last colony of Australian sea lions. Fishing for these cute animals was once one of the main occupations of the first European settlers, which put the existence of the species in danger of total extinction. Fortunately, however, people came to their senses in time, and since 1972, the local sea lion colony has been protected by the state. In 1994, the park's visitor centre was built, and in 1996, a new boardwalk (400 m) was built through the dunes, which leads to the viewing platform. This path can be used by "wild" tourists to see the sea lion colony. Access directly to the beach is allowed only in groups accompanied by a park ranger (a 45-minute walk along the beach among the lions). On the beach you can also see the skeleton of a whale that was beached many years ago. Some areas of the park are completely closed to tourists, mainly where the pinnipeds nurse their calves. The park is also home to wallabies, which sometimes prowl along footpaths, possums and echidnas, although they are primarily nocturnal. Ubiquitous on the island, kangaroos can be seen roaming the beach among the lions.
Seal Cove can be reached within a 45-minute drive from Kingscote. Not far from the conservation area is Bales Bay, where there are equipped picnic areas with all the necessary facilities.
