Hawaii reopens popular part of Waikiki Beach after endangered monk seal pups were weaned

HONOLULU (AP) — A young Hawaiian monk seal has weaned and moved, allowing part of a popular Hawaiian beach to reopen Tuesday after it was banned to protect the endangered pup while he was breastfeeding.

Last month, Hawaii officials sealed off much of a popular beach in the Waikiki neighborhood to protect the mother seal, named Kaiwi, and her day-old pup, named Pualani. State resource conservation and enforcement officers monitored around the clock.

The birth of an endangered seal in one of Hawaii’s most popular tourist hubs has highlighted the tension between protecting the islands’ fragile ecosystems and maintaining access to pristine white sand beaches. which attract millions of visitors each year.

Kaimana Beach sits next to a mid-sized hotel and is a favorite swimming and sunbathing spot for locals and visitors alike. For the past six years, monk seals have occasionally given birth there, paving the way for conflicts between seal mothers and swimmers.

Authorities took extra precautions after a California tourist got too close to a mother-puppy pair last year and was pulled underwater by the mother, leaving cuts on his face, arms and the back of the 60-year-old visitor.

Authorities cordoned off part of Kaimana Beach when pups were born before, but the area protected this spring was much larger.

Monk seal mothers protect their suckling pups. Authorities said it would be best for swimmers to frequent one of Oahu’s many other shorelines until the pup is weaned.

After weaning himself over the bank holiday weekend, Pualani was moved to an undisclosed location.

Pualani was the fourth puppy born at Kaimana Beach since 2017. “Future births and pre-weaning periods there will likely result in the resumption of a large cord and 24-hour monitoring,” the state Department of Lands said. and Natural Resources. in a report.

Fewer than 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals remain in the wild and it is a crime to disturb them.

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