Monk seal on Maui taken to hospital for emergency care
COURTESY THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER
An underweight RS52 rests on a West Maui beach. The young male lost weight at a concerning rate, prompting medical intervention in October 2024.
COURTESY THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER
RS52 takes a swim at his temporary home at Ke Kai Ola for his journey to recovery.
A young and emaciated Hawaiian monk seal has been rescued from Maui’s shoreline and taken to Ke Kai Ola, a specialized hospital in Kailua-Kona.
In late September, volunteers noticed monk seal RS52, a year-old male born on Lanai, was losing significant weight.
Upon learning that the seal continued to grow thinner and was becoming progressively less energetic, federal officials and partners decided to launch a “special intervention mission.”
When volunteers once again spotted RS52 hauled out on a West Maui beach this month, the state and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mobilized to collect the seal. With help from the U.S. Coast Guard and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, a team flew RS52 from Maui to Hawaii island for emergency care at Ke Kai Ola.
NOAA said RS52 is currently undergoing testing to determine what is causing the weight loss. At Ke Kai Ola, he is being monitored by a veterinarian and fed by a team of volunteers.
Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered seal species in the world, and are endemic to the Hawaiian islands, meaning not found naturally anywhere else in the world.
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Only about 1,600 seals remain in the wild — roughly 1,200 in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 400 seals in the main Hawaiian isles.
The seal population had been in a prolonged decline, but reached a milestone in 2021 when it surpassed 1,500 for the first time in more than 20 years, according to NOAA.
They are, however, still listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, and remain protected by state and federal laws.
Monk seals still face numerous threats, which include intentional harm by humans, marine debris entanglement, diseases such as toxoplasmosis, and loss of habitat due to climate change.
The Marine Mammal Center, based in California, recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of Ke Kai Ola, a hospital and conservation program dedicated to monk seals.
Megan McGinnis, associate director of Hawaii Community Conservation at Ke Kai Ola, said in a news release that the 2023 monk seal population estimate was over 1,600. Nearly 30% of the seals are alive today, she said, due to conservation efforts led by NOAA and its partners.
NOAA reminds the public to give seals at least 50 feet of space, and mom-pup pairs at least 150 feet of distance, both on land and in water.
Sightings to help officials track the seals can be reported NOAA’s marine wildlife hotline at 888-256-9840.
