Two days ago a monk seal pup was born on Kauai's Mahaulepu Beach and is now being protected by Kauai's Monk Seal Watch Program. Monk seals are among the most endangered creature on earth so the birth of a pup is big news. No one knows how many still exist in the Hawaiian archipelago but around 25 live on Kauai.
Newborn pups are black and weigh 25-30 pounds. In six weeks, while nursing, this pup will grow to 200 pounds while his mother, poor thing, loses a large portion of her body mass as she does not leave the pup to feed during that period.
In this photo the black blob is the pup while the large grey blob is the mother.
Photo taken on Kauai, November 2008.
Sweet. You are fortunate to be a witness to such a rare occurrence. Thanks for sharing your picture. Is that a brand on the mother's body? Looks like a 101.
Aloha,
Bruce
Posted by: Bruce Moore | November 12, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Not sure. But I'm planning to go back to see if I can get a clearer picture of them.
Posted by: mgmason | November 12, 2008 at 10:50 AM
How exciting! Look forward to hearing more about the pup.
Posted by: Emily Warren | November 14, 2008 at 11:03 AM