The southern elephant seal has been spotted several times since August last year and was a star attraction for visitors during the Morven marae's 70th anniversary celebrations over the weekend.
Department of Conservation ranger Steve Harraway said people visiting the area should keep an eye out for the large seal and remember it was a wild animal.
"These are large animals and can give you quite a shock if you stumble upon them unexpectedly.
People need to be respectful and keep at least 10m away," he said.
The seal has probably come ashore to moult, after which it will move back out to sea.
Feedback on images of the seal sent to Doc marine mammal experts suggests that the animal has almost completed moulting.
Elephant seals are the largest species of seal.
Adult bulls can grow to 3600kg and have a distinctive inflatable proboscis (snout).
