Snorkeling with a Hawaiian Monk Seal
Hawaiian Monk Seals are critically endangered, with a population hovering around 2,000. They can only be found in the Hawaiian island change, with most of them in the unpopulated Northwest Hawaiian Islands. About 200 closely watched, tagged, and recorded individuals call the main Hawaiian Islands home, which means encounters are highly unlikely. In fact if you do see one there is a special hotline to call to report your sighting. NOAA heads up the protection and recording of monk seal sightings, so if you do get the lucky chance to encounter one you can find the phone number to report it on the NOAA monk seal page here . Monk Seal Large Format Picture I have been lucky enough to see several monk seals over the years with a couple of encounters being in the water while diving or snorkeling. It is always such a rare treat to even catch a glimpse of these rare creatures. So you can imagine my surprise when I am leading about twenty snorkelers in a rarely visited spot on ...