They’re known as Hawaiian monk seals, and they exist only in the Hawaiian archipelago but, like all plants and animals in Hawaii, monk seals had to come from somewhere else.

The current theory is that the ancient ancestors of today’s Hawaiian monk seals began exploring from their original home in the Caribbean 3 million years ago through what is now Central America during a time of global climate change, said Charles Littnan, program leader for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hawaiian monk seals research.

"We don’t know how long that immigration took to occur, perhaps hundreds of thousands of years," Littnan said. "We do know that quite dramatic climate change was happening, and these are tropical animals that will have to go to where they are better adapted to survive. They probably went to other areas and didn’t survive. But Hawaii was this perfect match for this far-traveling seafarer."

The physical evidence is slim: A set of monk seal remains — possibly from the 1400s to 1700s — were discovered in an ancient Hawaiian trash heap in Wai*luku that also contained the burial remains of three humans.

But a Hawaiian monk seal that was tracked for a month last year off Oahu showed that it was capable of swimming nonstop over a distance that would take it from Hawaii to San Francisco and beyond, Littnan said.

"This is the most remote, isolated piece of real estate in the entire world, and it is a miracle that anything can find its way here," Littnan said. "But every animal species has some subset of juveniles that are more intrepid. That’s how species survive. And monk seals are capable of swimming great distances."

Some families see creatures as their deity

It’s unclear whether ancient Hawaiians revered Hawaiian monk seals, hunted them for food or considered them a pest.

But Trisha Kehaulani Watson found several written references last year that suggested ancient Hawaiians certainly coexisted with monk seals.

And today a handful of families on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii island and the rugged and remote Kalaupapa peninsula — a tranquil birthing ground for Molokai’s monk seals — revere Hawaiian monk seals as an aumakua, or family deity, said Watson, project director for Na Mea Hulu, a Hawaiian monk seal education project funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

"It’s not as common as the shark or owl, but we have identified families on different islands who do consider monk seals as their aumakua," Watson said. "Fishermen have had trouble with the animal, but everybody I’ve talked to who has that special relationship with monk seals are kind of passive and calm and serene. Monk seals are comforting and fairly docile when they’re lying on the beach. You see yourself in the animal that you identify with."

Some families that consider monk seals as aumakua have even held private, solemn ceremonies to honor monk seals that have died, Watson said.

She found about 10 written interpretations of Hawaiian legends that failed to mention monk seals by name but did make curious references to animals that suggested ancient Hawaiians were aware of them.

A reference in the Kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant, refers to "Trace of the nibblings of these brown-coated ones/With whiskers upstanding/They hide here and there/A rat in the upland, a rat by the sea/A rat running beside the wave."

In a version of the story of the goddess Hiiaka, Hiiaka refers to confusion over an "oversized, hulking dog" that had most of its fur on "his head and neck." In Hawaiian, the seal is "’ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua," literally "quadruped running in the rough (seas)."

"Monk seals are mostly solitary and difficult to see, even when they’re on the beach," Watson said. "You can trip over them. So it’s not surprising that we don’t see overwhelming numbers of stories like we do with sharks. We see similar references to the bat, but not a tremendous number. It doesn’t mean the bat wasn’t here."

Today, Hawaiian monk seals remain sacred to at least a handful of families, Watson said.

"People have identified specific monk seals that appear to them or come to them in the form of an ancestral guardian figure," she said. "To them, monk seals are certainly special."

YOU CAN HELP

NOAA Fisheries suggestions to fishermen and those encountering seals on land.

Fishermen

How to prevent seals from taking fish and bait:

» Don’t feed seals or discard old bait or scraps into the water.

» If a seal is encountered while fishing, take a short break or change locations.

» Reduce seal attractants in the water.

» Use a barbless circle hook.

» Follow the State of Hawaii lay gill net rules for your area. For details on rules go to: hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/regulated_gear.html.

» Barbless hooks help minimize post-hooking injuries to seals and can still be used with live bait. These hooks allow the animal a better chance of quickly ridding itself of the hook without human intervention.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A SEAL

» Do not disturb, feed, pursue, encourage, or otherwise approach seals. Seals are wild and may bite if disturbed.

» Seals need undisturbed rest on land.

» Remain out of sight, if possible. Keep at least 100 feet away or more if encountering a mother and pup.

» Although monk seals may approach people, always move away to avoid interaction.

» Keep dogs away from seals.

» Contact with humans or dogs may transmit diseases.

» Call hotline toll-free number 1-888-256-9840 to report all interactions with monk seals. Timely reports are essential because the information shared between fishermen and NOAA can help protect the seals and also help reduce impact on fishing.