The Department of Conservation is having a necropsy conducted on the body of a leopard seal found dead on a beach near Bluff yesterday.
Leopard seals are becoming more frequent on New Zealand shores and can often be seen on beaches resting after long bouts of swimming and hunting at sea.
Estelle Leask was out walking yesterday morning when she came across the seal at Tiwai Point.
"Walking along enjoying the sun and amazing bird life in our harbour, when I came across this," she wrote.
Ms Leask believed the seal had been shot, and a large wound was visible on its neck.
"This stunning creature was a large healthy adult ... I can not believe anyone could do this ... it's so disgusting!"
Leopard seals are a protected species under the Wildlife Act and Marine Mammals Protection Act, and the maximum penalty for killing one is two years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000.
They can be dangerous if provoked, and have a nasty bite, but are generally harmless if left alone.
"I got down on my knee and said a karakia for this magnificent taonga," Ms Leask wrote.
"These creatures are a vital part of our marine environment, they're important for keeping the balance ... we humans now need to correct the imbalance by bringing the perpetrators to justice."
A DOC spokesperson said a necropsy is now being conducted to confirm the cause of death, and the results are expected within a week.
If the death was through a gunshot, it will be the second leopard seal killed by humans in New Zealand in the past few months.
Another leopard seal was found shot dead at point blank range on a Northland beach on July 27.
X-rays of that seal showed it was shot with a shotgun as well as with a rifle, and Sea Shepherd offered a $5000 reward for information on the person or people responsible.
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