Hawaiian Monk Seals
Called Monk Seals due to their "hooded" appearance and solitary nature. Unlike other seals and sea lions that prefer to gather in groups, monk seals tend to stay alone. After a night of hunting, they often seek much-needed rest by hauling themselves out of the water individually. This behavior sets them apart from their cold-water counterparts.
Quick Facts from NOAA
A juvenile Hawaiian monk seal rests on the beach. Credit: NOAA Fisheries (NMFS Permit #22677; PMNM Permit #2021-015)
Monk Seal Conservation
Monk seals face a range of threats, including food scarcity, entanglement, habitat loss, male aggression, disease, and human activities such as fishery interactions, disturbance, and intentional killing.
However, there are also promising solutions and positive developments. NOAA has recently documented over 1,500 monk seal sightings, indicating an increase in the population due to recolonization and significant growth.
Additionally, there have been advances in enhancing juvenile seal survival and research, which offer hope for the conservation of this species.
Video credit: Tara Leota, Lehua Rock
Do Monk Seals Bark?
Monk seals don't "bark" like sea lions, but their vocalizations are just as fascinating and unique. The Hawaiian name for the endemic Monk seal, "'ilio holo I ka uaua," translates to "dog that runs in rough water." They remind us, and the ancients, of our beloved canines.
Hawaiian Monk Seals communicate using a unique set of vocalizations, including a deep guttural call that almost sounds like a belch! In the video clip, you can hear this playful, distinctive sound, and even the return response of another seal.
Our Allies
Our allies for reporting monk seal sightings, immediate solutions, and coordinating marine strandings or entanglement responses through the Kaua'i Marine Mammal Response:
Mimi Olry
Division of Aquatic Resources & Protected Species Program.
Jamie Thomton
Kaua’i Marine Wildlife Stranding Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries. "Papio" crew for large animal response on Kaua'i.
Jean Souza
NOAA Marine Sanctuary Kaua'i Director & the Kaua'i Ocean Discovery Center.
If you have non-emergency monk seal sightings, photos, or written reports, please send them to the following email address: pifsc.monksealsighting@noaa.gov.
Additionally, we are proud to partner with "Kaua'i Seals" (HMS Conservation), which provides valuable updates and information about monk seals on the island. We would like to acknowledge Kim Rogers for her dedication to Kaua'i Seals, and you can learn more about their efforts at https://kauaiseals.wordpress.com/author/kauaihmshui/.
Virtually unchanged for 15 million years, Hawaiian monk seals are considered nature's living fossils. Their tropical seal cousins, the Caribbean and Mediterranean monk seals, have disappeared in the past century. Hawaiian monk seals number about 1200 with less than 40 within the main islands.