HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL

The Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the rarest marine mammals on Earth — and most people have never heard of it. Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, these seals have been swimming these waters for millions of years, utterly indifferent to the tourists, development, and climate change that now threaten their existence.

The Hawaiian monk seal got its name from the way it lounges on beaches — solitary, serene, wrapped in what looks like a monk's robe of dark fur. Unlike other seals that form colonies, monk seals prefer to be alone, coming ashore only to rest, molt, or give birth.

The numbers tell a troubling story: roughly 1,400 seals remain, and the population continues to decline at about 4% per year. Part of the problem is food scarcity — as ocean temperatures rise and fishing pressure increases, the fish and squid that monk seals depend on are moving to deeper, cooler waters.