Hawaiian monk seal

하와이몽크물범

A rare seal found only in the Hawaiian Islands, resting mostly on sandy beaches of the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is gray with a paler belly, grows to about 2.1 m, and is vulnerable, with only about 1,500 left.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Midway, Kure)
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 200 kg
Length: about 2.2 m
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN VU)
Habitat: coasts, coral reefs

Quick answers

Where does the Hawaiian monk seal live?

It lives in coasts, coral reefs of the Pacific Ocean. On the globe you can find it near Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Midway, Kure).

How big is the Hawaiian monk seal?

It grows to about 2.2 m and 200 kg.

What does the Hawaiian monk seal eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

Is the Hawaiian monk seal endangered?

It is listed as Vulnerable (IUCN VU).

The Hawaiian monk seal is a rare seal that lives only in the Hawaiian Islands. It has a grey coat, a white belly and a slim body, with a small, flat head and large black eyes. It is about 2.1 to 2.2 metres long and is the official state mammal of Hawaii.

Most of them rest on the sandy beaches and rocks of the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, such as Midway and Kure. There are only about 1,400 left, and the IUCN lists the species as Endangered. It is the last living member of its genus, Neomonachus, apart from the Mediterranean relative.

Names and food

Native Hawaiians call it ʻīlio-holo-i-ka-uaua, which means dog that runs in rough water. The English name monk comes from the short hair on its head, which looks like a monk's hood.

Monk seals hunt fish, lobsters, octopuses and squid, including in deep coral beds. The monk seal has a flat head, large black eyes and short snout with the nostrils on top.

Fighting for survival

Monk seals face many problems: people on their beaches, fishing nets and marine debris that tangle them, disease, and very little variety in their genes. In the past they were also hunted for their skins.

Scientists describe it as a conservation-reliant species, which means it only survives because people keep helping. They clean up beaches, treat sick seals, move some to safer places and teach the public how to keep their distance.