When the stupid's come to town... Must be GOPers... Surprised they didn't have guns...

‘Recipe for trouble’: Couple in Hawaii scolded for photos with endangered seal

Fiona Lee

In a series of photos, the couple is standing next to an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, lying on the sands of Kaena Point State Park in Oahu, Hawaii. They take photographs of themselves with the seal, while other photos show an unleashed dog frolicking on the sands nearby.

Hawaii’s Department of Land and Resources released the photos of the couple as an example of what not to do near monk seals, a critically endangered species. An anonymous tipster first submitted the photos to DLNR through the agency’s tip app last Wednesday.

The couple’s actions, along with the presence of their dog, are “a recipe for trouble, especially around a wild monk seal,” the agency said in a damning statement. It noted that “both of these circumstances create an unsafe situation that must be avoided." 

There are only approximately 1,570 Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild, and “it is considered one of the most endangered seal species in the world,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“They are critically endangered and have the highest levels of protections available,” Jason Redulla, chief of DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, said in a statement. “We hope that local residents and visitors alike will become educated about safe wildlife viewing guidelines and the rules and laws regarding human behavior around seals.”

DLNR temporarily fenced off most of Kaimana Beach, near Waikiki, after a monk seal gave birth to a pup in April. The animals are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and harassing the seals can lead to fines, arrests and even jail time.

In 2017, two men were arrested and charged after harassing and kicking a monk seal in Maui. The year before, a man was arrested and later sentenced to four years in prison after a viral video captured him hitting a pregnant monk seal in Kauai.

Safe viewing guidelines for Hawaiian monk seals involve staying at least 50 feet away on land and in water, while those viewing mother seals and pups should stay at least 150 feet away. Mother monk seals can also be aggressive, and have bitten swimmers in the past while trying to protect their offspring, according to DLNR.