Hawaiian monk seal pup explores new home after relocation

News admin June 20, 2026 0 Comments

Hawaiian monk seal pup explores new home after relocation

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Hawaiian monk seal pup born in May has been successfully relocated to a quieter shoreline, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries said.

‘Ānela ‘Auinalā, also known as RV96, was officially weaned from her mother Kaiwi and then relocated on Tuesday.

She was named by Hawaii Marine Animal Rescue’s community naming effort with Waikiki Elementary.

NOAA Fisheries, Hawaii Marine Animal Response and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources have safely relocated the pup to an undisclosed location on Oahu Thursday morning.

The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation was able to reopen Kaimana Beach after the pup was successfully relocated.

When ‘Ānela first arrived at the beach, NOAA said she took a few moments to get oriented before heading straight into the water to explore the new cove.

NOAA said they also gave the pup a brief health check, a preventative vaccination and official flipper ID tags. A temporary satellite tag was attached to help match her movements and follow her development over the coming months.

Officials said Kaimana Beach is one of the busiest beaches on Oahu, and regular interaction with large crowds can be risky and even life-threatening for a newly weaned, impressionable seal.

The quieter beach will help ‘Ānela learn normal, wild behaviors that a young seal needs to survive, away from large crowds.

NOAA added that while Kaiwi may return to the beach in the future, both seals are now independent.

If a monk seal is seen on the beach, the public is asked to give them at least 50 feet (15 meters) of space, or 150 feet if a seal pup is present with their mother.

Seal and other marine sightings and injuries can be reported to NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at (888) 256-9840.

View more photos from NOAA here:

Additional resources to help monk seals can be found here: