PO‘IPU – The relocation of a Hawaiian monk seal pup and its mom meant that beach-goers who enjoy Po‘ipu Beach Park have an opportunity to again enjoy all of the popular beach – just in time for the long Labor
PO‘IPU – The relocation of a Hawaiian monk seal pup and its mom meant that beach-goers who enjoy Po‘ipu Beach Park have an opportunity to again enjoy all of the popular beach – just in time for the long Labor Day weekend.
However, lifeguards caution that the park is open only while the seal and her pup are at their new adopted home located on a strip of sand fronting the Kiahuna Plantations.
“If they come back, the rope barriers and closure signs will reappear again,” they said.
The lifeguards indicated that a portion of the beach was opened late Thursday, and the entire park being accessible on Friday when the pup and its mom swam past the Waiohai to the location fronting Kiahuna.
According to beach-goers who were exiting the water fronting the Waiohai, the seal and its mom tried to swim back to Po‘ipu, but the currents proved to be too strong.
“But, it’s good,” the swimmers said. “It allows everyone to share the experience.”
The Po‘ipu Beach Park lifeguard staff agrees, “It’s good to have our beach back.”
Despite the heavy usage brought on by long weekends, the water safety officers look forward to the return of people to Po‘ipu, noting, “We work better when it’s busy.”
Jean Souza of the Marine Sanctuaries program, and Brad Ryon, the NOAA wildlife manager were both on scene at the Kiahuna location Friday night, and said the pair tried twice to make it back to Po‘ipu, but it appeared that the currents were too strong, resulting in the pair spending the night Thursday and Friday fronting the Kiahuna.
“They slept for six hours on Friday,” Souza said, obviously sunburnt from the exposure at the new location.
The new location prevents people from getting a closer view of the pup and its mom unless they’re willing to hike in from either the Waiohai, or Sheraton Kaua‘i side of the beach. But, once spectators have overcome the hiking portion, the narrow strip keeps spectators at a distance due to the protective barriers.
Ryon said at this point, they’ve not ascertained the gender of the pup, although it appears that it’s a female. Ryon said they’ll determine the pup’s gender when it gets tagged. That will take place when weaning is complete and the mother returns to the sea to feed.
Born on Aug. 3, the seal pup has proven to be the most active of the three births at Po‘ipu, the pair venturing this far from the birthplace at the four-week mark.
Still bearing its fetal folds and dark fur indicative of the pup’s infancy, the pup is now almost as big as its mom who has been nursing and staying at the pup’s side since its birth a month ago.
Souza said they still need volunteers to help keep track of the seal as well as provide information to visitors curious to know more about the most endangered species in North America. Volunteers are treated to a short, usually about an hour, orientation and training session before being scheduled to do a shift of “seal watching.”
Volunteering can also be exciting discovered one of the Kiahuna security guards who learned that the seals have “flashlight eyes.”
She said that while keeping tabs of the seals Thursday night, she actually saw them briefly with lights emitting from their eyes when they surfaced. “This wasn’t reflections,” she said. “They had lights coming out like little flashlights.”
Since the birth of the seal, and with Souza being the main contact on Kaua‘i for volunteers and coordinating shifts as well as maintaining an information display at Po‘ipu Beach Park, she said she hasn’t had much time to spend with her family, who, before school started, came along with her to help with the seal watch program, their reward being shaved ice from Brennecke’s.
Ryon, who was on hand when the seal was born, has been taking turns with other NOAA staffers.
Meanwhile, in celebration of the reopening of Po‘ipu Beach Park, the lifeguards tentatively agreed to a couple’s request of having a wedding ceremony held on the little island where the seal was born a month ago.
“But,” they cautioned the couple. “That is, only if the seal doesn’t return.”
Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) and dfujimoto@pulitzer.net
