top rounded corners
pad
  • Increase font size
  • Decrease font size
  • Default font size
pad
Seach Sponsored by Pizza Hut Hawaii
pad
KGMB9 Weekend Team
Monk Seal Molts on Windward Oahu Print E-mail
Written by Brooks Baehr - bbaehr@kgmb9.com   
January 14, 2008 11:48 PM

 

A Hawaiian Monk Seal named Chester (named for the scar on its chest) hauled up onto a Windward Oahu beach Jan. 1, 2008.

Two weeks later it had not gone back into the water. Not to hunt for fish. Not even to cool off.

Chester, however, is not sick or dying. Chester is molting.

"The animal will physically shed its skin and fur, so if you watch him long enough, when he scratches you'll see big clumps ... come off his body. This is important. All seal species will shed their fur and skin, and it's to rejuvenate and renew that insulated and protective barriers that seals have," said David Schofield, a marine mammal response coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA does not want us to disclose Chester's exact location. Too many visitors could disrupt the molting process.

Monk seals are an endangered species. They rarely haul up on the beach where Chester's been for two weeks. In fact, Chester is often spotted in the water off Ewa Beach but not on the Windward side.

There have been fewer sightings of Hawaiian Monk Seals as their population has dropped.

There are believed to be only about 100 monk seals living in the main Hawaiian islands. Another 1,000 (estimate) live in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

Volunteers are giving up their free time to stand guard over Chester. They ask people to leash their dogs and answer questions for curious beach goers.

"People will ask, is it dead? Is it sick. How do you know it's not sick. And I think they associate it with a dolphin or a whale. Do we need to push it back into the water," Donna Festa told KGMB9.

Festa said she did not know too much about monk seals before Chester arrived. Since then she has learned a lot and grown to like her role as Chester's protector.

"You get up in the morning and you can come down to the beach and actually see this," Festa said motioning toward Chester. "And unless we keep that and protect that, it could very easily go away."



Twitter!Digg!Reddit!Del.icio.us!Google!Facebook!Slashdot!Technorati!StumbleUpon!Newsvine!Furl!Fark!Yahoo!Ma.gnolia!
Last Updated ( January 14, 2008 11:48 PM )
 


Sunrise on KGMB9

Sunrise on KGMB9
Weekdays 4:30-8am

Have you heard? Dan Cooke is joining the Sunrise crew as the new Weather Anchor! Dan will be here later this summer. Until then, Malika Dudley and Ben Gutierrez will share the Sunrise weather responsibilities - weekday mornings on the 9s!

Wake Up With Us

KGMB9.com Interactive

Storm Patrol
KGMB9's Storm Patrol

Be a part of KGMB9's Storm Patrol and tell us the weather in your neighborhood. We want video and pictures straight from you.

Join the Team

KGMB9.com on Twitter

Follow KGMB9.com on Twitter
KGMB9.com is now on Twitter

KGMB9 Interactive has been meaning to write up something to explain what Twitter is and why we have been using it.

Follow KGMB9.com

hawaii.womf.com

hawaii.womf.com
Hawaii's New
Word of Mouth Forum

Have a favorite local business or service? Share your experiences with them on the new Word of Mouth Forum and help Hawaii's businesses thrive in this challenging economy.

Make Your Voice Heard

KGMB9 News

Why Did the Anchor Cross the Road?
Tannya Joaquin Joins
KGMB9 News at 5 & 6

KGMB9 welcomes Tannya Joaquin the anchor desk weeknights at 5 & 6 p.m. Still curious on why the anchor crossed the road? Let Tannya explain...

Find Out!

bottom rounded corners