Year of Hawaiian Monk Seals

2017 is Year of Hawaiian Monk Seals

Posted on September 12th, 2017 under Hawaiian Monk Seals

Hawaiian Monk Seals are one of only two mammals native to Hawaii's terrestrial environment. One of the most endangered animal species in the world. Only about 1,400 seals are left and they live in mainly the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and a few hundred seals live in the main Hawaiian islands, Kauai, Oahu, Maui Nui and Island of Hawaii.

Hawaiian Monk Seals are protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Hawaii State Law. It is Hawaii's official state mammal.

They have many traditional Hawaiian names such as ilio-o-ke-kai ("dog of the sea") and ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua ("dog running in the rough seas") Don't you think they look alike a Dog?

Photo credit by Joyce Hsieh @ Honolulu, Hawaii 2017

Physical Description

Adult Hawaiian monk seals are about 6 - 7 feet in length and can weigh up to 400 - 600 pounds.
A newborn baby is about 25 pounds and after weaning about 200 pounds. Breastfeeding time is about 5 - 6 weeks, but depending on the mother's condition.
Their maximum age is 25 - 30 years.
Monk seals molt or shed the top layer of their skin and fur, once a year.
Males and females are similar in size and appearance

Would you like to learn more about Hawaiian Monk Seal? Please visit Learn Hawaiian Monk Seal Tour webpage and Facebook at Learn Hawaiian Monk Seal

So far, O`ahu had three newborn pups this year.

PO2, a boy was born on May 8th at North Shore and mother is Luana (RN58/59) 5 years old and his mom weaned him on June 14th.

Photo by Kimo Smith

PO3, a boy was born on May 12th, Mother’s Day at North Shore. mother is Honey Girl (R5AY) 20+ years old. His sister, Keolakai (RK80/81) is a pup in 2018 who visited him and mom for a few times.

Photo by Keiko Mori

PO4, unknown its gender yet because mom and pup are staying on the isolated island and the public is not allowed to go there. Mother is Sadie (RB12/13) 12 years old.

Photo by NOAA

Would you like to learn more about Hawaiian Monk Seal and meet them in the wild? Come join us the Learn Hawaiian Monk Seal tour. I will give you a lot of information by lecture and you become an Ambassador of Hawaiian Monk Seal.

Visit us at Hawaiian Monk Seal tour and book your tour!

Monk Seal Fun Fact #2

Posted on April 11th, 2019 under Hawaiian Monk Seals

Monk Seal Fun Fact #2: the pupping season

Hawaiian Monk Seal's mother can birth a pup every once year but not all mother do. The pregnancy period is about 11 months and pup's nursing period is 40+ days. Most mother seals go back to her own birthplace to birth and nursing her pup about 40+ days. During the nursing period, mother seals do not eat at all stay with her pup 24/7 and protect them. Such wonderful mothers!

Well, the pupping season arrived in the Main Hawaiian Islands.

February 4, 2019, a male pup was born to RB00 (born on April 28, 2007, to Rocky (RH58), yes she is Kaimana (RJ58)'s older sister) on Kaua`i, Hawai`i. He is the first pup of 2019 on the Main Hawaiian Islands.

RL08 in February 2019 by G Langley, Kauai

RB00 nursed him for 54 days. 54 days nursing period is the record-breaking on Kaua`i.

After mother (RB00) weaned the pup, NOAA tagged the pup. His official tags are RL08 (left flipper) and RL09 (right flipper.) RL08 also received his initial vaccination to protect against morbillivirus. (Click here to learn more about the Hawaiian Monk Seal vaccination program.)

Kauai's newest weaner (RL08) was measured -- both in length and girth. As suspected, RL08 set some recent records.

145 centimeters in length -- from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail
143 centimeters in girth -- the widest part of his body just below his fore flippers.

Hum, it sounds like he is a big round ball!

RL08 photo by G Langley, Kauai

The average length of 14 weaners (not including RL08) over the past six years, equaled 130.5 centimeters. The average girth of those same 14 weaners equaled 114.85 centimeters.

He is a big boy.

Good luck RL08 and be safe in wildlife.

So far, we have one more pup (male) was born on Hawai`i Island (Big Island) to RA20 (born in 2009) who is a daughter of Honey Girl (R5AY) on March 20, 2019.

Can you guess when is the first pup of O`ahu will be born?

Stay tuned to this answer : )

Please join us the tour and meet Hawai`i State's official Mammal, Hawaiian Monk Seal! visit Learn Hawaiian Monk Seal to learn more about Hawaiian Monk Seal.

Monk Seal Fun Fact #1

Posted on March 12th, 2019 under Hawaiian Monk Seals

Hawaiian Monk Seal Fun Fact #1

Kaimana (RJ58) born on June 29, 2017. Mother is Rocky (RH58)

The first time I met the seal was on one of busiest Waikiki Beach. Kaimana (RJ58, female, born on June 29, 2017) and her mother, Rocky (RH58, born on July 31, 2000.) O`ahu locals and visitors watched them very closely while Kaimana grows. It was an amazing experience for me. I quickly fall in love with the Hawaiian Monk Seal.

But there are not many people know about the seal especially the visitors. We need to protect and respect it to help its population growing.

Hawaiian Monk Seal is one of the most Endangered marine animal species in the world and is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is protected by the Federal ( Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act) and Hawai`i State laws. There are less 1,400 seals total and about 45 seals on the shoreline of O`ahu.

So far, I met about 30 seals since I started to protect it.

In 2018, the Main Hawaiian Islands hit the number of birth of Hawaiian Monk Seal. It was 30 pups born in 2018. This number is record-breaking. Last highest number was 21 pups in 2013.

Can you guess, how many pups will be born in 2019?

Please join us Learn Hawaiian Monk Seal tours on O`ahu, visit Learn Hawaiian Monk Seal on Facebook and Monk Seal Tour by Kittie website if you like to learn more about Hawaiian Monk Seal and our tours!

I am offering an Educational Hawaiian Monk Seal tour for visitors on O`ahu, Hawai`i. I like to educate visitors to O`ahu about Hawaiian Monk Seal who it is and how we can protect it.

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