Monk Seal coming Ashore

by Debra Banks

Title

Monk Seal coming Ashore

Artist

Debra Banks

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

I was fortunate to watch this wonderful Hawaiian Monk Seal as she come ashore with the waves seemingly helping to get her there safely on the beach to rest.

This shot was taken with a zoom lens, I was very careful and stayed far away from her.


The official state mammal of Hawaii, the scientific name for the Hawaiian monk seal is Neomonachus schauinslandi. The Hawaiian name is “Ilio holo I ka uaua”, which translates to “dog that runs in rough water”.

In 2016, it was estimated there are 1,400 Hawaiian seals in existence.

Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered, and one of only two remaining kinds of monk seals on Earth, along with the Mediterranean monk seal, whose population has fallen to just 600 individuals. There was once a Caribbean monk seal, but it is believed to be extinct since the 1950's.


The average lifespan of a Hawaiian monk seal is 25 to 30 years. Adult males grow to about 7 feet long and weigh between 300 and 400 pounds. Meanwhile, females can grow to 8 feet long and can weigh between 400 to 600 pounds. Hawaiian monk seals do not have external ears and they cannot rotate their hind flippers underneath their bodies.

Uploaded

February 2nd, 2023

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Viewed 366 Times  -  Last Visitor from Shenzhen, 30 - China on 03/20/2023 at 2:05 PM

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