Hawaiian monk seal ready for visitors at new Waikiki home

A newly renovated Hawaiian monk seal exhibit is once again open at Waikiki Aquarium, with Ho‘ailona the monk seal cruising around his new home.

The exhibit reopened Tuesday following a $180,000 renovation project that began in late January and involved complete resurfacing of the swimming area’s concrete lining, newly resurfaced rocks as well as a new filtration system and polished-up window.

“The pool had been repaired several times over the past few decades,” said aquarium Director Andrew Rossiter, “and it was kind of patchwork repair. We decided to do it properly so it’s one complete surface.”

Only Ho‘ailona will be featured at the exhibit. Ho‘ailona (“sign from the sea”) was abandoned by his mother at 2 days old and got a little too friendly with Molokai residents as a pup. The male monk seal with impaired vision is 10 years old.

“From what I can see, he’s delighted with it,” said Rossiter. “He’s been exploring and sunbathing, and I think he approves of his new exhibit.”

Maka Onaona (“gentle eyes”), the oldest Hawaiian monk seal in captivity at 34, is terminally ill, said Rossiter, and will not return on display, but remains under good care behind the scenes. Maka still enjoys spinning.

On a recent Thursday morning, families were watching Ho‘ailona cruising around his pool, sometimes coming right up close and personal in front of the display window, and at other times along the bottom. Once in a while, he hauled up onto the rock surface to bask in the sun.

At feeding time he dived and surfaced for fish.

Ashley Suzuki of Honolulu, a member of the aquarium, brings her daughter, 2-year-old Nova, to visit at least once a week. She was happy to see the monk seal exhibit reopen.

“He’s so friendly,” she said of Ho‘ailona. “He swims right up and likes putting on a show.”

Vicki Dimoff of Waianae brought her 4-year-old son, Jaku Rumedon, to see the Hawaiian monk seal exhibit so he could learn more about the marine mammals they sometimes see basking on shorelines.

“I love it,” she said. “We live on the West side and see them sometimes at Kaena Point, where we give them distance. Here it’s good for him to see (the seal) up close.”

Waikiki Aquarium’s education department offers regular outreach activities, including daily educational presentations, arts and crafts. A new exhibit called “The Living Reef,” highlighting Hawaii’s coral reefs, is coming up in the next month. A webcam for the Hawaiian monk seal exhibit also remains live.

Hawaiian monk seals are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, meaning found nowhere else in the world, and remain a critically endangered species. Only about 1,400 monk seals remain in the wild, with the majority dwelling in the Northwestern Hawaiian islands.