File:Hawaiian monk seal at Ke'e Beach (4193599725).jpg

Monk Seals Mature Hawaiian monk seals feature a gray pelage, or coat, which weathers to a brown shade. Juvenile Hawaiian monk seals are silver with creamy white stomachs, chests, and throats. Pups are black and woolly with fuzzy short hair. Newborns are clad in a black natal fur. A number of Hawaiian monk seals sport scars from shark attacks or injuries from fishing gear. Females are often scarred by encounters with males, which can be particularly brutal during mating. Adult males are 300 to 400 pounds (140 to 180 kg) in weight and 7 feet (2.1 m) in length while adult females tend to be 400 to 600 pounds (180 to 270 kg) pounds and 8 feet (2.4 m) feet in length. Pups average 30 to 40 pounds (14 to 18 kg) at birth and 40 inches (1.0 m) in length. Life expectancies are 25 to 30 years.

Status In 2008, it is estimated that only 1,200 individuals remain. It is listed as critically endangered.

Why 'monk' seal? Its common name derives from its round head covered with short hairs, giving it the appearance of a medieval friar.

Comeback? Slowly, however, the monk seals are returning to the main Hawaiian Islands. Lone seals hve been sighted in surf breaks and on beaches in Kauaʻi, Niʻihau, Maui, and O'ahu's Turtle Bay[9] and some of the other islands. They often leave the water haul out on busy tourist beaches, where they are vulnerable to disturbance. NOAA has cultivated a network of volunteers who protect the seals while they bask or bear and nurse their young. In 2006, twelve pups were born in the main Hawaiian Islands, rising to thirteen in 2007, and eighteen in 2008. As of 2008 43 total pups have been counted in the main Hawaiian islands.