She is a great mom
Just as I had been reviewing research on monk seals for
my book, we heard a pup had been born on Larson’s beach. It took a few days to get down there to see the youngster (male) now ten days old. The crew monitoring the perimeter said this
particular mother wasn’t so good in the past but has perhaps grown into her
duties. She had chosen a great location
where she could see up and down the beach for would-be attackers (dogs are
sometimes a problem). She had also chased away an unwanted bull seal.
Nice and secluded Larson's Beach
Here they are, a couple lumps imitating rocks
A little closer zoom, pretty content mom and pup 10 days old
She
has five to six weeks to nurse him, fasting all the while herself. His weight triples and hers drops almost to
half during that time. When she stops
feeding him, he becomes a weanling, or as locally known, a weaner. During the first year on his own, while he learns to find food
for himself, he loses some of the baby fat. During his first three years he is extremely vulnerable.
But for now he just has to convince Mom to let him nurse,
and figure out his own tail fins, while mom dunks her head,
and keep cool on a very hot day at noon.
This was a sweet, protected spot to take the little guy into the water to teach him to swim.
Back on the sand, Mom catches a nap, Jr. tries to eat
Happy Mother’s Day
Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered and
losing the battle
to survive.
Each new pup is a shred of hope.
If you see a monk seal hauled out on the beach
without any signs or perimeters set up
call the local hotline: 651-7668
If you do not get a response within 15 minutes,
call
888-256-9840.
Or join the group of
volunteers that monitor the beaches
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