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Plans underway to move monk seal pup born at Kaimana Beach

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Plans underway to move monk seal pup born at Kaimana Beach


National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said they would move the monk seal pup born at Kaimana Beach now that she is fully weaned to a secluded beach on Oahu.


What You Need To Know

  • NOAA officials decided to relocate the pup because they are concerned she will become habituated to humans
  • On Sunday, Hawaii Marine Animal Response reported that the mother seal, Kaiwi, separated from Pa‘aki
  • For the safety of the pup, the new beach will remain undisclosed

The female pup named Pa‘aki, also known as PO5, was born on May 1 at Oahu’s Kaimana Beach, a crowded spot at the edge of Waikiki. This was the fifth time a monk seal had given birth at the popular beach since 2017. 

Following her birth, nonprofits and federal, state and county agencies worked together to rope off most of the beach and monitor the monk seal pair.

On Sunday, Hawaii Marine Animal Response, who partners with NOAA, reported that mother seal Kaiwi, also known as RK96, separated from Pa‘aki. Kaiwi may return to Kaimana Beach, but the mother and pup are now both independent seals, according to a NOAA news release.  

Kaiwi and Pa‘aki when she was only one-day old. The third seal is Wawamalu, who was born in 2018 along the Kaiwi coastline and is Kaiwi’s son. (Photo courtesy of DLNR)

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Monk seal mothers nurse their pups for five to seven weeks before abruptly leaving. While nursing, a monk seal mom does not forage for food and instead fasts until she uses up all of her energy, which is why the mom must leave to find food after weaning. The independent pup then must survive on its own.

NOAA officials decided to relocate the pup because they are concerned she will become habituated to humans, which would limit her ability to learn how to be a wild monk seal. 

“We will be relocating Pa‘aki to a more remote Oahu shoreline, as we’ve done with previous Waikiki-born pups,” NOAA said in a news release. 

For the safety of the pup, the new beach will remain undisclosed. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

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Hawaii

With jolly festivities in full swing, how are you celebrating the holidays? Share your photos!

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With jolly festivities in full swing, how are you celebrating the holidays? Share your photos!


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – With family and friends celebrating the holidays, Hawaii News Now wants to see how you are making the most of the jolly festivities.

From house decorations and shining lights to unwrapping presents and spending time with loved ones, share your photos by submitting them below!



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Hawaii

Plane crash under investigation on Hawaii Island

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Plane crash under investigation on Hawaii Island


WAIMEA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Federal investigators are looking into what caused a plane to crash on Hawaii Island Monday.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirms it is looking into what caused a Cessna to go down at Parker Ranch in Waimea shortly before noon.

Investigators said preliminary information indicated the plane experienced a loss of engine power.

A witness said two people walked away from the aircraft on their own. No one was hurt.

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Hawaii

Hawaii Bowl announcers Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker get rare moment in spotlight

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Hawaii Bowl announcers Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker get rare moment in spotlight


‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring … and the only sports on TV was the Hawaii Bowl on ESPN.

The Christmas Eve game pitting South Florida (6-6) against San Jose State (7-5) didn’t bring the same energy as a major bowl, but when you’re the only live major sporting event on U.S. TV, fans will take notice.

On social media, the matchup generated surprising buzz for a minor bowl game.

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Out in Honolulu, ESPN had play-by-play announcer Tiffany Greene and color analyst Jay Walker on the game, and the pair, who have worked together for years, made the most of their moment in the spotlight.

Greene, who was the first African-American woman to serve as a play-by-play commentator for college football on a major network, had the opportunity to call some big plays, including this kickoff return touchdown by South Florida’s Ta’Ron Keith.

And here’s Greene on a big interception early in the game.

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Unfortunately, everything did not go smoothly for Greene and Walker. Of particular concern, Walker’s audio sounded consistently muddy, as if he were doing the broadcast remotely.

Others on social media were even less charitable in their comments on the announcers.

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Yet some fans were left wanting to hear more of Greene and Walker in the future.

[ESPN]





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