Kalaupapa monk seal gives birth to 4th-generation pup
COURTESY GLAUCO PUIG-SANTANA / NPS / NOAA PERMIT 22677
The first Hawaiian monk seal pup to be born on Kalaupapa National Historical Park this year.
COURTESY GLAUCO PUIG-SANTANA / NPS / NOAA PERMIT 22677
The pup was born to Hawaiian monk seal RJ40 some time in April.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park has announced the birth of its first Hawaiian monk seal pup of the year.
Park officials said in a Facebook post that Mother’s Day arrived early, with a beachgoer reporting a well-known monk seal and her pup along the shoreline in April.
The mother, RJ40, is 6 years old and was herself born at Kalaupapa, according to Mikiala Pescaia, interpretive park ranger. Her first pup is doing well, and is actually the fourth generation to be born at Kalaupapa.
Kalaupapa’s more remote shores have been the site of many pup births, including three over one May weekend last year. They offer privacy from the crowds of some Oahu beaches, such as Kaimana Beach, where Kaiwi gave birth to pup PO5 in April.
Though monk seal pups can be born year-round, peak pupping season is typically from spring through summer.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends maintaining a distance of least 150 feet from monk seal mom-and-pup pairs on land and in the water.
Mother seals can be very protective of their pups, officials said, and are more likely to exhibit territorial behavior around them. They can — and have — bitten humans perceived as threats.
Report monk seal sightings to NOAA’s marine wildlife hotline at 888-256-9840.
