Another surprise visitor—a.k.a. Hawaiian monk seal pup—arrived on Kauai’s north shore last week. Announcing PK2, Kauai’s second pup of 2023. This one was born to RH92, who was born in nearly the same location in 2016. After being regularly reported on Kauai’s east side for several years, RH92 moved to Oahu in 2019 where she seemed to settle on being an “urban” seal after pupping at Kahuku, Oahu last year.
While many female Hawaiian monk seals pup on the beach they were born, some, like RH92, are “pioneer seals,” moving and reproducing on other islands, which helps to disperse the seals among the main Hawaiian islands. By doing so, these pioneering seals are repopulating places the species once inhabited long ago.
Before moving to Oahu, RH92 kept busy:
- A few months after weaning, some fishermen contacted DOCARE (Department of Conservation and Resources Enforcement), because a loose dog had attacked a small monk seal. An officer immediately responded, found the dog’s owner, and issued a citation. The seal, with multiple puncture wounds, turned out to be RH92 and was given antibiotics. Thankfully, her small punctures did not become infected and healed quickly.
- Soon thereafter, RH92 ventured to Kauai’s East Side where, as a yearling, she began feeding on fish scraps in a canal. Because two other yearlings had drowned, possibly in nets, in the same canal in previous years, she was translocated her to the West Side of the island. Meanwhile, signs near the canal and boat launch were installed and fishers asked not to dump fish scraps in the area. Luckily, fishers complied, because RH92 quickly made her way back to the East Side within two weeks later. Since then, there’s been no problems.
- Too, RH92 experienced a severe wound on her head from a large cookie cutter shark bite that exposed her skull. But she quickly healed.
RH92 was born to another seal with a storied past—RK22.
Possibly born in 2001, RK22 abandoned two pups two years in a row before sticking around and mothering. Then, RK22 became known as a “tough love” mother, because she would take her pups swimming at an early age, even leading them outside the protection of the lagoon and beyond the reef into deeper water when they were just one or two weeks old. Over eleven years, RK22 was known to give birth to eight pups. It’s possible the years she didn’t pup on Kauai that she pupped at Niihau. Here’s a recap of her known pups:
- 2007: After contracting pneumonia during five days of trying to reunite it with RK22, pup was euthanized.
- 2008: After an attempt to reunite pup with RK22, he was raised for a time in captivity, then released at Molokai. But after developing cataracts, he was re-captured and now lives at Waikiki Aquarium.
- 2011: RK54. Died after ingesting a fishhook in 2012.
- 2012: RL14. (Update to come.)
- 2014: RF22. Died of boat strike in 2015.
- 2015: RG22. Last known to be hauling out around Oahu.
- 2016: RH92. Gave birth to second pup in April 2023.
- 2017: RJ22. Died from drowning, most likely a gillnet fishing entanglement, in September 2017.
RK22 weaned RJ22, her last known pup July 2017, and she was last seen on Kauai in November 2017. She hasn’t been reported since.
Kaua'i Seals 