HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS

MONK SEAL
My three daughters and I recently spent a week on Kauai. During the week, they wanted to snorkel at Brennecke’s Beach at Poipu. They pointed out two Monk Seals nearby sunning themselves on the beach. I noticed that the life guards respected their privacy by setting up a perimeter of four poles around them. At the top of the poles they fastened the yellow -crime scene- ribbon. I wondered why they had to do this. Common sense would dictate to leave them alone. But, there are nuts out there who lack common sense, and respect for nature, and harm them - even though they are protected as critically endangered.
I have always liked seals, but I can’t explain why. Probably because they are so docile and graceful. My daughter picked up a tourist publication. “101 Things to Do- Kauai” at the Outrigger Resort where we were staying, It is an excellent publication, with suggestions of things to do and see. On page 30, there is an excellent article on “The Monk Seal Guardians.” I think that you will enjoy reading it, so have copied it here. After reading this, you will never see a seal the same again!
“Monk Seal Guardians.”
“Hawaiian monk seals found the Hawaiian Islands well before human contact. They showed up 13 to 15 million years ago, well before the Big Island exploded from the sea, or ancient Hawaiians came to settle the land. Now, critically endangered, there are fewer Hawaiian monk seals in the wild than there are giant pandas! But, while pandas are celebrities, Monk seals can’t get off the B-List!
An Elephant monk seal, with a talent for grabbing headlines has done a lot to focus public attention on the plight of these ancient, seven foot, 400-600 pound marine mammals.
KP2 was born on a Kauai beach in May 2008. His mother categorically rejected him. Had he not been spotted by a passerby and turned over to NOAA’s Marine Mammal Response team, he would have died. The tiny pup was transported to Oahu and raised by the marine mammal team. When he was old enough to fend for himself, he was released into waters off Molokai.
Now, thoroughly acclimated to human contact, KP2 wasn’t interested in the solitary life preferred by most monk seals. So, he set off in search of human contact.. He found it at Kaunakakai Wharf on Molokai’s southern shore where there were plenty of humans to play with.
Soon, the seal had attracted an enthusiastic fan club, and the press had discovered a “Rock” star with whiskers and fins, abandoned by his mother and belonging to a tribe that is nearly extinct. The Wall Street Journal called KP2 a “people person”, and marine researchers started to worry as he grew and acted like a 600 pound seal, he may unintentionally harm his new friends.
So, NOAA intervened and returned KP2 to the wild. That didn’t work. The undaunted seal simply swam back to Kaunakakai Wharf. That didn’t work either. NOAA finally took him back to Oahu where he was placed in captivity.
All the while, the press followed the monk seal’s escapades, his celebrity growing with each headline. Eventually, it was determined that KP2 had cataracts and had to be moved to California for surgery. His Molokai friends, who had loudly protested his removal from the island, came to Oahu to say a sad Aloha!
Today, the endangered Hawaiian monk seal population has it’s poster child - and none too soon.
Over the pat 50 years, the Hawaiian monk seal population has fallen more than 60 percent to a level just over a 1,000 animals! About 90 percent of them are located in the uninhabited Northwest Hawaiian Islands. The remainder resides in the main islands.
A small monk seal colony has been established on Kauai and Niihau. Numbering some 30 to 40 seals, it is the largest population in the main islands. The seals are monitored by volunteers from the Kauai Monk Seal Watch Program. So, when you come across shoreline cordoned off by yellow tape barriers, you’ll know a seal has hauled up and volunteers are at work.
Seals usually land on the beach to rest, or to care for their young. It’s not unusual to see a pup, but keep your distance. Never pass between a seal and the shoreline. When mama seals feel threatened, on the shore or in the water, they have been known to attack. A Maha’ulepu Beach mama did just that late last year.
In another incident, the community was outraged, when two seals, one pregnant, were murdered. One shooter has been prosecuted. A significant reward has been raised for information leading to the arrest of the other.”

RCL - 7/3/10.