Hawaii Beach Reopens After Monk Seal Weans Her Pup

Last month a popular stretch of a Waikiki beach was closed to visitors while a newborn monk seal was nursing. The pup has now weaned, so authorities relocated the six-week-old pup and mom to a more secluded spot.

Hawaii is very protective of its monk seals, as it should be.  There are only about 1600 of these endangered creatures in the wild, and all of them are found in these islands. Humans are reminded to stay at least 150 feet from a mother with pup, and the fact that local authorities would close off a popular beach for six weeks shows they have their priorities right.

The mother, a 12-year-old the locals have named Kaiwi, had given birth near the same beach in 2021. The newborn is a girl and has also been named: Pualani, which means “heavenly flower.”

Photo credit: Audrey McAvoy /  AP