Couple seen taking photos with Hawaiian monk seal at Kaena Point
COURTESY HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
A photo submitted to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources by an anonymous tipster shows a couple seen posing for photos with a monk seal at Kaena Point State Park.
COURTESY HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
The couple’s small dog was running off-leash around the seal.
State officials are reminding the public not to approach or get close to endangered Hawaiian monk seals resting on shorelines after receiving an anonymous tip of a couple doing just that last week.
The tip, which the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources received Wednesday, includes photos of a couple posing for photos with a monk seal at Kaena Point State Park.
In addition to not complying with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s safe viewing guidelines, officials said, the couple’s small dog was running off-leash around the seal.
“Regrettably we did not have an officer in the area, but we wanted to release the tipster’s photographs to illustrate this irresponsible behavior,” said DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla in a news release.
State officials said violating the safe viewing guidelines “is a recipe for trouble, especially around a wild monk seal.”
NOAA recommends maintaining a distance of at least 50 feet from resting seals, and 150 feet from monk seal moms with their pups. NOAA also says dogs should be kept on a leash near the endangered monk seals because dogs can pose a significant risk to them, especially pups.
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People can respectfully view seals from a distance by using binoculars or their camera’s zoom, but should limit the viewing time to only a few minutes.
But people should not disturb monk seals or turtles sleeping on the beach — and should never touch, chase, or feed wild animals.
Both of these circumstances create an unsafe situation that must be avoided, officials said, and could have easily resulted an unlawful “take” situation — or basically violations — under federal and state laws that protect the endangered seals.
In recent years, several individuals have been charged and convicted on similar violations.
“Monk seal pupping on beaches like Kaimana in Waikiki, illustrate the protection and care that DLNR, NOAA, and other partners institute to protect seals,” said Redulla in the release. “They are critically endangered and have the highest levels of protections available. We hope that local residents and visitors alike will become educated about safe wildlife viewing guidelines and the rules and laws regarding human behavior around seals.”
To report illegal or suspicious activity, contact DLNR at 808-643-DLNR or via the DLNRTip App. Photos and videos can be emailed to respectwildlife@noaa.gov.
