HONOLULU — On Thursday, two weeks after a monk seal pup known as PO5 was born at Kaimana Beach, scientists have confirmed it’s a girl.

The announcement was made on the social media pages of the Hawaii Marine Animal Response and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Kaiwi gave birth to the pup on April 14 at Kaimana Beach. 

The NOAA and state agencies put up a fence around most of the beach to protect the monk seals and beachgoers. People are required by law to stay 150 feet away from the monk seals, even when they are in the ocean. The public is asked to swim at other beaches. 

The Hawaii Marine Animal Response will work with students at nearby schools to name the pup, using genealogy, the location and time of the birth, and physical and personality characteristics. The pup’s name will be announced on the Hawaii Marine Animal Response social media channels in the next few weeks. 

PO5 is the fourth monk seal born at the popular Kaimana Beach since 2017. Rocky, another monk seal mom, gave birth twice at the beach — first to a female pup and then to a male pup. In 2021, Kaiwi gave birth for the first time at Kaimana Beach to a male pup. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.