Photos sent to the Department of Land and Natural Resources tip app show a couple and a small dog standing too close to a Hawaiian monk seal at Kaena Point State Park, according to a DLNR news release.
The photos were sent by an anonymous user on the DLNR tip app. They show a man and woman violating the NOAA’s safe viewing guidelines, which ask people to stay at least 50 feet away from monk seals on land and in water. One person appears to be photographing the other person with the monk seal. They also show a small dog without a leash near the seal.
Violating NOAA’s safe viewing guidelines and having an unleashed dog near a Hawaiian monk seal could have resulted in an unlawful “take” under Federal and State laws, according to DLNR. At the federal level, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act prohibit the “take” of Hawaiian monk seals, which is defined as “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect, or attempt to engage in any such conduct.”
“Regrettably we did not have an officer in the area, but we wanted to release the tipster’s photographs to illustrate this irresponsible behavior,” said DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla.
People who see someone in person or on social media closely interacting with a Hawaiian monk seal or other marine wildlife are encouraged by DLNR to report the incident to 1-800-853-1964, (808) 643-DLNR (3567) or through the DLNRTip app.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.