‘Irresponsible.’ Couple poses for photos beside endangered Hawaii seal, officials say
A couple with a loose dog was spotted getting too close to an endangered Hawaiian monk seal to take photos alongside it, Hawaii officials said.
The state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources posted photos to its Facebook page showing a man at Ka’ena Point State Park closely crouching down next to a resting monk seal while a woman can be seen snapping a photo on her cellphone.
“Regrettably we did not have an officer in the area, but we wanted to release the tipster’s photographs to illustrate this irresponsible behavior,” Jason Redulla, DLNR’s division of conservation and resources enforcement chief, said in the post about the photos, which were sent via an anonymous tip Wednesday, May 10.
In addition to getting too close to the seal, the couple’s dog was also wandering around the seal without a leash, according to the department.
“Having violated the safe viewing guidelines and having their pet dog present is a recipe for trouble, especially around a wild monk seal,” the department said.
Individuals should stay at least 50 feet away from seals and 150 feet away from monk seal moms with pups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dogs should also be kept on a leash.
In recent years, some “have been charged and convicted on similar violations,” according to the department.
A Louisiana couple faced a fine after a TikTok video showed a woman touching a monk seal at a Hawaii beach, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported in July 2021.
There are only about 1,500 Hawaiian monk seals alive today, “making it the most endangered seal or sea lion species in the United States,” according to The Marine Mammal Center.
“But thanks to conservation efforts, this species is making a slow recovery,” the nonprofit said.
This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 12:01 PM with the headline "‘Irresponsible.’ Couple poses for photos beside endangered Hawaii seal, officials say."
