(BIVN) – A Hawaiian monk seal pup was born on O‘ahu’s south shore on Sunday, May 3, prompting a public reminder from State officials. 

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources issued an advisory on Monday, reminding the public to maintain a respectful distance from the baby sea mammal. The pup was born to the 15-year-old female Kaiwi (RK96) at sunset on Kaimana Beach. 

Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as state law. It is illegal to disturb, harass, feed, or otherwise harm a monk seal. Violations may result in fines or criminal penalties.

In April, officials issued a news release to let Hawaiʻi residents know that peak pupping season was underway across the islands. Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as state law. “It is illegal to disturb, harass, feed, or otherwise harm a monk seal,” the DLNR warned. “Violations may result in fines or criminal penalties.”

The Hawaiʻi DLNR says you can help by:

• Keeping dogs on a leash and well away from seals
• Using an alternate beach during the nursing period
• Staying at least 150 feet away from mothers with pups
• Staying at least 50 feet away from all monk seals
• Remaining behind any posted signs, cones, or barriers
• Avoiding swimming near a mother and pup
• Using a camera zoom or binoculars instead of approaching
• Reporting all sightings of Hawaiian monk seals to the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at 888-256-9840.

The DLNR issued these Public Safety Advisories

• While monk seals are generally not aggressive, mother seals are large and powerful and can be very protective of their young, as evidenced by a 2022 encounter between a swimmer and mother seal at Kaimana Beach that left the swimmer with lacerations to her face, back and an arm.
• Ocean users, especially swimmers and surfers, are strongly advised to choose alternate locations for their activities during the five-to-seven-week nursing period, to avoid unexpected and potentially dangerous encounters.
• Approaching too closely in the water significantly increases your risk of injury. Seals can move quickly and without warning – and interactions in the ocean could escalate before you have time to react.

photo courtesy Hawaiʻi DLNR

The Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response organization has installed protective fencing at Kaimana Beach to create a buffer area on the shoreline, “allowing the mother and pup to rest without pressure from crowds”, officials say. NOAA Fisheries personnel will carefully monitor both seals’ health.

Form the Hawaiʻi DLNR:

For the next five to seven weeks, the pair will stay together while the pup nurses and gains the necessary strength to survive when mother Kaiwi departs. During this time, the pup is vulnerable and dependent on its mother for survival.

Human disturbance during this period can have serious and lasting consequences. If repeatedly stressed, a nursing mother may abandon her pup, significantly reducing its chances of survival. In addition, young seals are highly impressionable. Close human interaction can lead to habituation, where the animal loses its natural wariness of people. Wild seals that get used to people can lose the instincts they need to survive and can become dangerous as they grow larger and stronger. Staying away keeps everyone safe and gives seals a better chance to live in the wild.