Hawaiian Monk Seal Photography Gallery
Scientific Name: Neomonachus schauinslandi.
Hawaiian name:`Ilio holo I ka uaua, which means, “dog that runs in rough water.”
The Hawaiian Monk Seal is one of the rarest marine mammals in the world. It is a highly endangered species, and was listed by The Endangered Species Act in 1976. Despite protection efforts, a population of only approximately 1,100 currently remains.
The Hawaiian Monk Seal is the only seal native to Hawaii. The majority of monk seals live in the remote, uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. A small but growing population of monk seals is also found on the Main Hawaiian Islands. These Monk Seals were photographed on the islands of Kauai, Maui and Kaena Point, Oahu.