Bird flu fears grow for Portland’s much-loved elephant seal Sammy

A southern elephant seal known as Sammy has become an unexpected focus of concern in Portland, Victoria, where bird flu has killed or sickened large numbers of wild birds. The male seal frequently appears along the Portland foreshore and at the port, and has also been seen at the community gardens. Local resident Lynn Murrell said Sammy had effectively adopted the town and was a popular attraction for visitors and residents. In recent weeks, he has been spotted near birds presumed to have died from H5N1. Portland recorded Victoria’s first bird flu case at the end of July. The federal agriculture department has since listed 17 confirmed events involving crested terns, magpies, silver gulls and ravens in the area, along with many suspected cases. Some residents have estimated that 30 to 40 birds are becoming sick or dying on the beach each day. The situation has also raised concerns about how carcasses should be handled. A Glenelg shire council spokesperson said the state government had advised leaving dead birds where they were, although council workers had removed some when they created unacceptable public amenity or safety risks. Scavengers feeding on the carcasses were another concern. Those fears increased after the first confirmed H5N1 case in a fur seal was reported on Sunday at Beachport in South Australia, about two hours from Portland. More than 100 marine mammals have been reported to Victoria’s emergency animal disease hotline this month, though none has so far been confirmed as infected. Macquarie University professor Rob Harcourt said seals and sea lions could be vulnerable because they share areas with wild birds and frequently make physical contact. Southern elephant seals, which are listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws, can disperse widely while feeding, travelling more than 1,000 kilometres from breeding colonies. A national assessment has classified the species as being at very high risk from H5 bird flu. The virus killed more than 13,000 southern elephant seal pups on Heard Island during 2025 and 2026. Meanwhile, volunteer wildlife carers from western Victoria travelled to Portland to humanely euthanise severely affected birds. David Mould of the Victorian Wildlife Alliance described the effort as temporary assistance rather than a solution to the wider outbreak.