#native hawaiian monk seal

A juvenile monk seal found on Maui’s Oneloa Beach in Kapalua last month, was released after undergoing surgery to remove an ingested fishing hook. 

This comes following the death of a young female seal found dead on the south shore of the island on Sunday, Sept. 19. The seal was identified by a temporary bleach mark on her side, as “L11,” one of the pups born on the island in 2020. 

The public is invited to learn more about Hawaiian monk seals at a free presentation entitled “Saving a Species: Rehabilitation as a Conservation Tool for Hawaiian Monk Seals” on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 5:30 p.m. HST via Zoom where two special guests from The Marine Mammal Center’s dedicated hospital for monk seals, Ke Kai Ola, on Hawaiʻi Island will highlight their conservation and outreach work.

“I want to be clear that this behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Visitors to our islands – you’re asked to respect our people, culture, and laws protecting endangered species that are found nowhere else in the world,” Gov. Ige wrote.

The monk seal pup named Kaimana, who became a public and media darling after being born on the popular Waikīkī beach of the same name was hooked on Labor Day.

The animal, identified by the tag K68, was observed exhibiting what appeared to be breathing difficulties, said Dr. Jeffrey Walters, Marine Mammal Branch Chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Necropsies indicate that both seals appear to have died under suspicious circumstances. A young female Hawaiian monk seal was found dead this past week. The discovery follows the death of an adult male seal in mid-November.