A caller reported a monk seal sighting on Oʻahu to the Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response on Monday.
The NOAAconfirmed it was Loliʻi, a Hawaiian monk seal born at Kaimana Beach two years ago.
Tracy Mercer is a research biologist for the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.
She said there are seven pups on Oʻahu alone — and pupping season is far from over.
"The success with our deals and getting those numbers up is a huge triumph," said Frankie Koethe, Natural Resources Specialist for the NOAA.
"A lot of that comes with educating the public on the messaging of keeping their distance from the seals and reporting sightings," she added.
The call is welcome news to researchers and locals alike. Two monk seals have been found dead on Oʻahu in the last two months.
One of the seals, Hoʻomau Lehua, was only four months old when she was found dead on Oʻahu’s North Shore.
The other, Malama, was likely deliberately killed, a necropsy report confirmed.
Born too small to survive on her own, Malama had been nursed to health at the Marine Mammal Center in Kona. She was found dead shortly after her release.
"It was a real big blow. Very, very heartbreaking," Mercer said.
"Not only did we lose these two individual females, we lost their potential offspring in future generations," Koethe added.
After the deaths of Malama and Hoʻomau Lehua, researchers felt even more excited to hear that Loliʻi is still thriving.
"People can always report sightings to NOAA," Koethe said. "That’s a really helpful tool for our research and population recovery."
If you happen to come across a monk seal, you can call the Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response’s Marine Protected Species Hotline at 888-256-9840.
This interview aired on The Conversationon June 27, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. This interview was adapted for the web by Emily Tom.
