DLNR: Keep distance from monk seals during peak pupping season
COURTESY DLNR
Hawaiian monk seal Rocky, RH58, pictured with pup at Sand Island last June. Rocky has previously given birth at Kaimana Beach, but gave birth to a pup, on June 20, at Sand Island State Recreation area, the first recorded monk seal birth at the location.
COURTESY DLNR
Last summer, Hawaiian monk seal Kaiwi gave birth to a pup at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki. State officials are reminding the public to maintain 150 feet of distance during peak pupping season as mother seals can get very protective and react aggressively to humans that get too close.
State officials are reminding the public that peak Hawaiian monk seal pupping season is underway, and to give mom-and-pup pairs plenty of space as they nurse and rest along shorelines.
Although monk seals give birth year-round, March through August is considered peak pupping season, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The number of monk seals being born in the main Hawaiian isles, meanwhile, is growing and so, too, are chances of the mom-pup pairs interacting with people, which officials want to prevent for the safety of both.
“During this time, nursing moms can be very protective and may react aggressively to anyone who gets too close,” said DLNR in a news release. “When seals are born at highly visible and popular beaches the chances of someone getting hurt increase dramatically.”
In 2022, a 60-year-old woman from California was seriously injured after encountering Rocky the monk seal, who had just given birth to a pup, while swimming at Kaimana Beach.
The recommended distance from Hawaiian monk seal mom and pups is 150 feet on land and in the water.
Additionally, officials ask people to keep dogs leashed any time they are at the beach to keep seals safe, as several pups have been killed by dog attacks.
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Monk seal moms typically nurse their pups for five to seven weeks before weaning, which is a crucial time in the pup’s development.
Last May, monk seal Kaiwi once again gave birth to a pup at the popular Kaimana Beach in Waikiki, which brought federal, state and county agencies together to protect the seals. Most of the beach was cordoned off, with caution signs, to create a safety corridor around the pair.
In June, Rocky gave birth to a pup at Sand Island Beach, also a crowded spot during weekends.
DLNR said a total of 34 pups were born in the main Hawaiian isles last year, and that three have already been born so far this year.
Hawaiian monk seals are endemic to Hawaii, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world, and are protected by both state and federal laws. Only an estimated 1,600 remain in the wild.
Various DLNR divisions work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the nonprofit Hawaii Marine Animal Response and various city agencies to protect the seals.
Monk seal guidelines
>> Give mothers with pups at least 150 feet of space on land and in the water — moms can be protective if they think you’re too close.
>> Keep dogs leashed any time you’re at the beach, as you never know where a seal may be!
>> Report all seal sightings to the statewide NOAA marine wildlife hotline at 888-256-9840.
