Hawaiian Monk seal #RH58, also known as "Rocky," gave birth to a healthy pup at Kamaina Beach in Waikiki late Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
The birth is the first known in Waikiki since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Monk Seal Research program has been monitoring the endangered species since the early 1980s.
A roped-off barrier about 50 feet from the mom and pup has been established to provide privacy — and to keep onlookers from angering the new mother.
People gathered behind the cordoned-off area where the two seals are located.
The public is being asked to keep their distance and avoid disturbing the pair on the beach and in the nearshore waters.
Rocky is expected to nurse her pup on the beach for about 40 days. The pup could spend several weeks in the area preparing for a longer trip of its own.
Monk seals can give birth at any time within their yearly cycle but tend to pup more during the summer.
In the main Hawaiian Islands monk seals total about 300, with 40 to 50 on Oahu, including Rabbit Island.
Hawaiian monk seals spend about two-thirds of their life in the ocean. During the one-third of their life that they spend on land, the mothers give birth.
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