Woman is injured while swimming near nursing monk seal in Waikiki

A woman was injured Sunday morning while swimming close to a nursing Hawaiian monk seal and her pup at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.

The incident occurred near a roped-off section of beach that the seal, known as Rocky, has been occupying with the pup since giving birth two weeks ago. The nonprofit Hawaii Marine Animal Response and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries office have been monitoring the two seals and providing outreach to the public at the beach.

In a video provided to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, an unidentified woman is seen swimming in Waikiki waters and encounters Rocky with her pup. Rocky barks and eventually lunges at the woman, while bystanders watch gasping and yelling at her to get out of the water.

“It’s a mama seal that’s protecting its pup, and there happens to be a human who is at the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Markus Faigle, a local resident who caught the incident on video. “So it’s not a seal attacking a human; that’s for me the totally wrong way of looking at this.”

The encounter started at about 8:30 a.m. and continued for about two minutes until a paddler came to the swimmer’s rescue, placing his boat between the woman and the seal and bringing her to shore. Two bystanders then helped to carry the woman to safety. The swimmer was transported by city and county Emergency Medical Services to a local hospital for further assistance.

This is not the first time a monk seal has lashed out at a beachgoer. In particular, nursing mothers can exhibit behavior that’s much more aggressive than typical monk seal behavior.

“People are again reminded that Hawaiian monk seal moms with pups are protective, can be dangerous, and have inflicted serious wounds on nearby swimmers,” HMAR said in a statement. “We continue to warn people not to engage in in-water activities when a monk seal mother with a pup are in the area and to stay at least 150 feet from mother seals with pups. … Should people have questions about where and when they should engage in in-water activities, please ask an Ocean Safety lifeguard. Continued vigilance is advised for several more weeks until the mother monk seal weans her pup.”

The male pup, known as PO8 to wildlife officials, is Rocky’s 14th pup. Rocky, also known as RH58, surprised wildlife officials by returning to Kaimana Beach to give birth to PO8. Almost all of her other pups were born on Kauai, where Rocky herself was born. In summer 2017 she came to Kaimana Beach and gave birth to a pup named Kaimana.

Rocky has become well known to nearby residents.

“I’ve known Rocky for about 10 years. I swim out there all the time,” said Stephany Sofos, a resident who lives near the beach and closely follows the coming and going of the monk seals. “Rocky is a very good mom, and she doesn’t bother anyone.” Sofos said she was angered by what appeared to be the swimmer’s reckless behavior and lack of respect for the animals.

Monk seals typically nurse for about four to six weeks before the mother and pup return to sea. Signs are posted on the beach warning people to stay clear of the seals, and volunteers from HMAR and lifeguards warn people to keep their distance.

Sofos said, “The bottom line is this is an endangered Hawaiian legacy, and we all have to do our part.”

Faigle said he understands the frustration some residents feel when monk seals come ashore and take up a sizable portion of beach for months. But he said that it’s a trade-off that people need to accept. “For us that live here, Rocky has been to Kaimana so many times,” he said. “We’re sharing the aina with her, and that’s how it is — you have to keep your distance.”

Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered species in the world, according to NOAA. Protected by federal and state laws, the population is estimated at 1,570 seals — nearly 1,200 seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 400 seals in the main Hawaiian Islands. NOAA recommends the public to maintain a distance of 50 feet when viewing monk seals and 150 feet for a pup with its mother.

Touching, harassing, capturing, injuring or killing monk seals is a felony under state law. Violators face penalties of imprisonment or fines.