Viewer Photo: Hawaiian Monk Seal Soaks Up Rays at Kahena Beach
Marion Dodge captured an image of a Hawaiian Monk Seal lounging on Kahena Beach the morning of Feb. 16.
“He rested for about an hour in the sun before heading off as people started to arrive,” Dodge wrote to Big Island Now in an email.
Hawaiian Monk Seals are endangered. With a population estimated at around 1,400 seals, about 1,100 reside in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 300 seals in the main Hawaiian Islands.
Kailua-Kona’s Marine Mammal Center advises beachgoers to proceed with caution and look out for posted signage about resting seals.