With the help from dozens of students, the Hawaiian monk seal is one step closer to becoming our official state mammal. On Tuesday, a senate committee passed two bills that would give the monk seal that honor, and would also designate the third Saturday in April as Hawaiian Monk seal day.

Students from Saint Andrews, Sacred Hearts, and Kamehameha school testified Tuesday before the committee, and spoke about the importance of saving this amazing creature.

"It's an endangered species right now and it's numbers are really going down fast, so in order to keep it alive there were certain things we had to do, so we thought this would be a really good opportunity," said Taylor Frey, a student.

"The children that showed up Monday was really fantastic because they're future monk seal response volunteers or future scientists and policy makers," said T. David Schofield, NOAA.

There are only about 1,200 Hawaiian Monk seals left on the planet. The bills will now go to the house for approval.

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