Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian monk seal has a small, flat head with large black eyes, eight pairs of teeth, and short snouts with the nostril on top of the snout.

Adult males are 300 to 400 pounds (140 to 180 kg) in weight and 7 feet (2.1 m) in length while adult females tend to be, on average, slightly larger, at 400 to 600 pounds (180 to 270 kg) and 8 feet (2.4 m) feet in length.

The monk seal is named for its folds of skin that somewhat resemble a monk's cowl, and because it is usually seen alone or in small groups.

The majority of the Hawaiian monk seal population can be found around the Northwest Hawaiian Islands but a small and growing population lives around the main Hawaiian Islands.Monk seals spend most of their time at sea, but come ashore to rest on beaches and even utilize fringe vegetation as shelter from storms.

Hawaiian monk seals mainly prey on bony fish, but they also prey on cephalopods, and crustaceans. Both juveniles and sub-adults prey more on smaller octopus species.

There are fewer than 1,000 of them and their numbers continue to decline. Scientists are unsure of the cause, but suspect that changes in ocean conditions and competition from commercial fishermen may be reducing the numbers of fish they depend on for food. Sharks also prey on these seals, and males sometimes kill females of their own species in group attacks called "mobbing."