THE ENDANGERED MONK SEAL There are less than 20 Hawaiian Monk Seals who call the waters and beaches of Kaua'i home. Despite the happy birth of two seat pups recently, the Hawaiian Monk Seal remains one of the most endangered species on earth. Please remember when you see a monk seal resting on the beach - not such a rare event - that it's in its native habitat, it is not a zoo animal. While always a glorious sight, this marine mammal is not there to provide entertainment. Never approach a monk seal on the beach (stay at least 100 feet away.) It should be able to go without saying, but you'd be surprised: Don't throw things at a monk seal or shout to get its attention or otherwise try to induce one to move. Yes, take a picture from a respectful distance, but leave the flash off. And please brief your children too. Besides being the right thing to do, there are strict state and federal laws prohibiting the harassment of marine wildlife such as the Hawaiian Monk Seal, sea turtles, dolphins and the most famous Winter resident, the humpback whale. Be assured these laws are strictly enforced in Hawai'i and come with severe penalties.
Some time during the night of July 21, 2001, a pregnant monk seal hauled herself onto the smooth, white sand at Poipu Beach County Park on Kauai's south shore and gave birth to a shiny-black, 30-pound pup. Early next morning, when the birth was discovered, the government wheels — local police, county, state and federal — began turning quickly to safeguard the mother and baby since the Hawaiian monk seal is federally listed as a highly endangered species. Within hours, the block-long crescent of sandy beach, known for its safe swimming and snorkeling, was fenced off. Explanatory signs were posted. Staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and local volunteers began observing and guarding the mother and baby from dawn to dusk. The seal, and her pup, became a tourist attraction in the resort of Poipu, a low-key collection of condos and hotels. Surfers, strollers and would-be swimmers paused by the fence daily. "Ninety-five percent of the people who come are thrilled," said Barbara Frazier, a local resident and volunteer with the Kaua'i Monk Seal Watch group, which safeguards the seals — and lends binoculars and hands out information sheets. "Some people are unhappy because they can't swim at the beach," said Frazier. "But it's only for six weeks." A monk seal nurses her pup for about six weeks; the mother doesn't leave the pup to fish while nursing, and she becomes drastically thinner as the baby fattens. Once the pup is weaned, however, the mother leaves it for good. The Poipu mother left on her own on September 10th. The pups can do fine on their own, thanks to their fast growth — they weigh about 150 pounds when weaned. After the Poipu mother left, the pup was moved to a remote beach on Kaua'i for its safety and Poipu Beach reopened, said Delores Clark, the NOAA public affairs officer in Honolulu. For more information on Hawaiian Monk Seals, click here to visit the Kaua'i Monk Seal Watch Program website.
Endangered
Hawaiian Monk Seal Gives Birth
POIPU, Hawaii -- There's a new celebrity lazing away the day on the sunny beaches outside Kauai's south shore resorts. An endangered Hawaiian monk seal known as Seal 310 gave birth early Tuesday morning to a pup on the beach in front of Kiahuna Plantation Resort near Poipu. The mother and baby have been attracting quite a crowd, and Kauai Marine Conservation coordinator Michele "Mimi" Olry was tasked with creating buffer zones to separate the pup from its two-legged admirers. Olry orchestrated the volunteer efforts at the site, setting up tents and umbrellas for volunteer monitors. "The resorts have been kind to work with us," she said. And with schools going into session this week, the job of monk seal monitoring has been made a little quieter, she said. Kauai, along with Niihau, is home to most of the 50 or so Hawaiian monk seals sighted by researchers on Hawaii's main islands. Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species with a population of only about 1,300 living primarily in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Olry said the birth caught her by surprise because she had been expecting a birth from another seal known as K02, also more affectionately referred to as "Poipu Mom." That seal was last spotted near the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa in Poipu. The expectant seal is distinctive for a fish hook embedded close to her mouth, which authorities have decided against treating until she gives birth. Based on the size of the Poipu pup and the new family's behavior after the birth, Seal 310 is likely a first-time mother, said Tim Robinson, project manager for the Kauai Monk Seal Program. When pups are born they are about 25 to 30 pounds and a meter long. The pair are constant companions for six weeks as the pup grows to more than 200 pounds. Once the six weeks is over, the mother quickly weans the pup to pursue her own feeding needs. But Kauai's beaches are very popular with the seals and sometimes mothers chose to stay around for a little while longer, Olry said. Kauai Monk Seal Watch Program: http://www.kauaimonkseal.com/Home.html
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