I’m from Australia and recently visited Oahu as a tourist and was privileged to see Hawaiian monk seals in their natural habitat. On the Waikiki strip. I kept my distance, but not everyone did. This is my experience.

It was early August, and the crowd gathered behind the roped containment area on the beach positioned themselves for a clearer view of Hawaiian Monk seals — Rocky and her pup, Koalani.

A local resident told me that this is Rocky’s preferred birthing location. As a tourist, I’m not familiar with this area, but it’s hard to miss the posted signs at this location, warning of the dangers of getting too close to a nursing mother as they can be very territorial and protective of their pups.

I have heard that Rocky is a bit famous, drawing international attention this year when she bit a tourist who she perceived as a threat to her pup. As a result of that attack, a 150-feet exclusion zone was recommended by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

A man in a beige “Hawaii Marine Animal Response” T-shirt was monitoring the area and requested two bystanders with a dog to move farther away from the site, and they obliged. The dog barked and I watched Rocky as she watched the medium-sized dog walk away, and I wondered about her stress levels.

The Marine Animal Response volunteer didn’t have a law enforcement badge, but looked like he deserved one. Much like for the president, when Rocky moved near the shoreline, her entourage moved with her, which included marine police and marine conservation volunteers upending tourists and their towels from the beach.

The casual attitude of many who slowly left the ocean in the presence of a nursing wild animal, or who were swimming there in the first place, left me a bit stunned.

The lifeguard on duty and a nearby conservation police on a Jet-Ski-type watercraft patrolling the water were also being kept on their toes. I watched in disbelief as two separate kayakers tried their luck approaching the seals, both waved away by the seal’s ocean and land support crews. One of the kayakers got too close as Rocky popped her head out of the water to watch and then moved her pup away. A snorkeler also tried to head toward the seals and was waved away, and again was stopped trying to get closer to the seals on the beach. I waited for these people to be issued citations.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) was also here, providing round-the-clock enforcement of the site. They have enforcement powers if required, but were they willing to use them on tourists who kayak too close? A DLNR press release stated that no citations were issued in the period, but I noted numerous transgressions of what I would consider seal harassment.

Are these seals really protected by the law? It is hard to fathom, considering how many people I observed who lacked basic common sense in this situation, or respect for marine life, or the law.

What happened to “Book ’em Danno!” the catchphrase used regularly by authorities on the island’s iconic television show, “Hawaii Five-0”? Make an example of one of them, and book ’em, Danno.

Back in Australia, I have read that the now-weaned pup has been moved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to a safer location away from the thousands of tourists. While there are many factors at play that affect monk seals’ life expectancy and welfare, Hawaii is their home — and we tourists also need to do better.

Elizabeth Neil is a freelance writer from Australia; she noted that NOAA’s Seal Week 2022 was observed Aug. 29-Sept. 2.