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The Hawaiian Monk Seal is a critically endangered species.
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About Hawaiian Monk Seals
The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachinae-Monachus) is the only truly tropical seal in the world. Small populations today are found only in
Hawai'i and the Mediterranean. The Caribbean monk seal is presumed to be extinct since the 1950s.
There are fewer than 1400 monk seals remaining in Hawaii. Most are found in the remote outlying areas of the archipelago.
 Monk seals are nocturnal feeders with a very diverse diet including eels, octopus, lobsters and fish. They come up onto land to rest,
and to give birth and nurse their young. They are very sensitive to human disturbance at their haul-out sites.
Contributing to the plight of the world's most endangered seal or sea lion
is the sometimes fatal behavior where competing males mob and bite
into the backs of females during mating. Aggressive males are
sometimes relocated by government authorities to give female monk
seals a better chance of reproducing which is imperative to the
survival of the species.
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How HWF works to help Hawaiian Monk Seals
· Conducted monk seal research on Midway Atoll
 Hawai'i Wildlife Fund conducted monk seal research on Midway Atoll from 1997-2000 in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
Our data have been used by the National Marine Fisheries Service to assist in the recovery of this unique and endangered species.
· Coordinates the Maui Monk Seal Watch
 In
addition to teaching thousands of visitors each year out in the
“living classroom” about Hawai'i's monk seals, Hawai'i Wildlife
Fund coordinates the Monk Seal Watch on the island of Maui. When
monk seals haul out onto the beach to rest, Monk Seal Watch
volunteers place police tape around the area and stand by to
educate the public, ensuring the animals are not harassed while
they rest. Recent years show an increase in both the numbers of
adult seals sighted in the Main Hawaiian Islands and an increase in
pups born here. As monk seal numbers increase, incidents of
human/seal interactions are increasing. Volunteer support is more
critical than ever.
MORE > VOLUNTEER
· Runs the Monk Seal Hotline
If you see a monk seal hauled out on beach, please call HWF's Monk
Seal Hotline at (808) 292-2372 (area code needed when calling from
Maui) to report the animal or send an email to
mauimonksealwatch@yahoo.com.
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