Beach birth: Hawaii blocks some Waikiki sands for seal pup

HONOLULU — The birth of an endangered seal at one of Hawaii‘s most popular tourism hubs is highlighting the tension between protecting the islands’ fragile ecosystems and maintaining access to the pristine white-sand beaches that attract millions of visitors each year.

Hawaii officials this week fenced off a large stretch of a popular Waikiki neighborhood to protect the Hawaiian monk seal, named Kaiwi, and her days-old pup. They are expected to hold a news conference Thursday to remind tourists and local beachgoers of the need to stay far away from the pair.

Kaimana Beach is next to a mid-sized hotel and is a favorite swimming and sunbathing spot for locals and visitors. Starting six years ago, Monk seals have occasionally given birth there, setting the stage for conflict between seal mothers and beachgoers.

Authorities are taking extra care this spring after a California tourist got too close to a mother-pup pair last year, and was pulled underwater by the mother, leaving cuts on the 60-year-old visitor’s face, arms and back.

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

Kaiwi had one other pup at Kaimana two years ago. She gave birth again on April 14, and scientists expect her and her pup to stay together at Kaimana for about 5 to 7 weeks while the baby nurses.

Monk seal mothers are protective of their pups during this period and officials are asking people to stay at least 150 feet (45 meters) away from the pair in the water and on land.

In previous years, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials relocated the new seals after they weaned and their mother left. Biologists and veterinarians took them to remote spots on Oahu where they could grow up with other wild monk seals and without much human interaction.

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

Kaimana Beach has been the site of four Hawaiian monk seal births since 2017, starting with a mother named Rocky; she became the first seal to give birth in Waikiki since NOAA began keeping track in the 1970s.

Waikiki is home to a long stretch of hotels and white-sand beaches. It is the largest hub for tourism in Hawaii, which draws 10 million travelers annually. Oahu, the island where Honolulu and Waikiki are located, attracted 4.9 million visitors last year.

Hawaii also has more endangered species than any other U.S. state, ranging from rare forest birds to snails and plants.