HONOLULU (AP) — A young Hawaiian monk seal has weaned and moved, allowing a popular Hawaii beach to reopen on Tuesday after it was closed off to protect the endangered pup while it nursed.
Hawaii officials had cordoned off a large section of a popular Waikiki neighborhood beach a month ago to protect the seal mother, named Kaiwi, and her newborn pup, named Pualani. State conservation and resources enforcement officials maintained around-the-clock surveillance.
The situation highlighted the delicate balance between protecting the fragile ecosystems of the islands and maintaining access to the pristine white-sand beaches that attract millions of visitors each year.
Kaimana Beach, located next to a mid-sized hotel, is a popular swimming and sunbathing spot for locals and tourists alike. Over the past six years, monk seals have occasionally given birth there, leading to conflicts between seal mothers and beachgoers.
Authorities took extra precautions after a California visitor was harassed by a mother-pup pair last year and was pulled underwater by the mother, sustaining injuries to their face, hands and back.
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Officials have previously cordoned off sections of Kaimana Beach when pups were born in the past, but the protected area this spring was much larger.
Monk seal mothers are protective of their nursing pups. Authorities advised swimmers to visit one of Oahu’s many other beaches until the pup was weaned.
After being weaned over the holiday weekend, Pualani was relocated to an undisclosed location.
Pualani was the fourth pup born at Kaimana Beach since 2017. “Future births and pre-weaning periods there will likely prompt the resumption of the broad cordon and a 24-hour… overwatch,” stated the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources in a statement.
There are fewer than 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals remaining in the wild, and it is a crime to disturb them.
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