Hawaii
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.
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)
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.