Seal prompts Ocean Fest to move location

PO’IPU – The organizers of next Saturday’s Koloa Plantation Days Ocean Festival

are moving the location of the swimming and canoeing event to Prince Kuhio’s,

oceanside of the Beach House Restaurant in Koloa.

Had the event been staged

at Po’ipu Beach Park as originally planned, the 1,500 plus crowd may have

disturbed the monk seal pup who was born at the beach on July 6, biologists

said.

“We are cooperating fully with the National Marine Fisheries

Service,” said Ocean Festival organizer Curt Smith, “and are moving the

festival because of the safety of the seal.”

Volunteers with the Kaua’i

Monk Seal Watch program who worried that the noise from the festival may cause

the pup’s mother to leave, were “wholeheartedly relieved,” said Barbara

Frazier, volunteer coordinator.

Smith said that contestants of the ocean

races, including swimming, canoeing, six-man and one-man paddleboarding, should

come to Prince Kuhio’s (PK’s) Saturday, July 29, at 8 a.m. to register.

The event itself starts at 9 a.m. that day.