Hawaiian Monk Seal
Monachus schauinslandi
Hawaiian monk seals are known as the “most primitive of living seals.” They have streamlined bodies which make them good swimmer. Their front and back limbs are flipper-like – the front flippers, which have five digits, are smaller than the back flippers. The hind flippers cannot be turned forward, so to move on land, the seals must wiggle them. In the water, Hawaiian monk seals propel themselves by moving their hind flippers and using their front flippers as rudders. They are dark gray on their back side and silvery gray on their stomachs.
Length 7 feet (males); up to 7.5 feet (females)
Weight 400 lbs (males); up
to 600 lbs (females)
Lifespan Up to 30 years, but generally live up to between 20-25 years
Diet
Fish, octopus, squid, and lobster.
Population
As of 2006, 1300-1400
Range
The Hawaiian monk seal occurs only in the Central Pacific, in the mostly uninhabited northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with a small breeding population inhabiting the main Hawaiian Islands.
Behavior
Hawaiian monk seals inhabit reefs, shallow lagoons, open ocean and beaches. They commonly haul out on sandy beaches. Hawaiian monk seals do not have special physical adaptations to deal with the warm climate in which they live. Instead, they remain inactive during the heat of the day, finding a resting spot with shade or wet sand. They are solitary animals both on land and in the water. The Hawaiian monk seal evolved in an area without people or other land predators. Therefore, it did not learn to fear people and is easily approachable and disturbed.
Reproduction
Mating Season Between December and mid-August.
Gestation
Approximately 1 year.
Litter Size 1 pup
Pups are about three feet long
and weigh about 35 pounds when they are born. They stay with their mothers for
35 to 40 days while they nurse. During this time the mother gives the pup
swimming lessons each day. While the pup is nursing, the mother fasts and may
lose up to 200 pounds.
Threats
Human encroachment, shark predation, entanglement in fishing nets and longlines and marine debris, disease and commercial hunting for skins.
Legal Status/Protection
*CITES, Appendix I, **Endangered Species Act, ***Marine Mammal Protection Act.
*Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
** The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify
species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and
help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health
of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our
children and grandchildren.
Hawaiian monk seals are listed as "endangered"
under the Endangered Species Act.
*** The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits, with certain exceptions, the killing or harassment of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas. It also prohibits the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the U.S.
How You Can Help
- Help Hawaiian Monk Seals and other wildlife by adopting a monk seal today at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
- Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.
