Over the weekend, I set out on a little mission to find one of my favorite animals—the Hawaiian monk seal. Known in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi as ʻīlio holo i ka uaua, meaning “dog that runs in rough water,” these beautiful animals are one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world, with only around 1,500 remaining throughout the Hawaiian archipelago.
There is something incredibly special about seeing a monk seal resting along the shoreline, knowing how rare it is to encounter one. But their presence also comes with a reminder of how fragile life in our ocean can be. Hawaiian monk seals face many threats, from human disturbance and fishing interactions to disease such as toxoplasmosis, which can enter the environment through cat feces and ultimately reach our waters.
If you are lucky enough to come across one, the best thing you can do is simply give it space. Don’t approach, touch, feed, or follow it—just slow down, watch quietly, and let the seal do what it came there to do. We are visitors in their home. Being able to witness one in the wild is a privilege, and sometimes the most meaningful way to show aloha is to admire from a distance and allow them to remain wild.
