Class 1 males should not be confused with Class 2 animals, which have definite territories, whereas the shoreline males appear to be attached to such sites but may not be in all cases. Full-grown males that have no females, but are actively defending territories. Full-grown males actively defending territories and females. Most Class 3 males and their females combine to form a compact mass of animals. Isolated individuals may be observed at each end of a rookery, on sandy beaches, and in corridors leading to inland hauling grounds.
Some territorial males have as few as one or two females.
Should these females be absent during counts, their pups are used as a basis for putting the adult male into Class 3 or Class 2. Full and partly-grown males on the inland fringe of a rookery. Class 4 males may appear to be holding territories, most will flee when approached or when prodded with a pole. The hauling grounds contain males from May to late July and a mixture of males and females from then on. The counts include males that obviously are adults and all others that have a mane and the body conformation of an adult.