Seal group hoping for perfect guestsBy PAT JENKINS
TGI Editor
The Hawaiian monk seal mother and its pup are gone from Po’ipu
Beach but not forgotten by several nearby hotels and resorts.
Hyatt Regency
Kaua’i, Sheraton Kaua’i Resort, Kiahuna Outrigger and Kiahuna Castle Resorts
will distribute information to guests on how to deal with monk seals, an
endangered species living in small numbers on Kaua’i.
The public education
campaign is at the request of Kaua’i Monk Seal Watch Program, a volunteer group
that helped monitor the seal pair that inhabited Po’ipu Beach in July and part
of August.
The beach is heavily used by visitors and island residents.
After a six-week weaning period, the mother left and the pup was moved to a
more secluded, undisclosed location.
Despite extensive public and media
interest in the seals, there were no serious incidents of humans bothering the
seals. Nearly all tourists and residents behave properly, according to the seal
watch program, whose members say the cooperation of hotels and their guests
will help it stay that way in the event there are other close encounters
between seals and people.
With thousands of visitors and the island’s 14
monk seals occasionally competing for the same beach, educating humans can help
“reduce the friction” between the two species, said Tim Robinson, an organizer
of the information drive.
“It could be a great source of pride for Kaua’i:
To be a role model for the rest of the world by successfully balancing such
vital interests,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful program,” agreed Brenda
Samashima, administrative assistant at Sheraton Kaua’i. “We’re very supportive
of it.”
Jim Hill, manager of Kiahuna Outrigger, said the cohabitation of
marine life and people is an example of the unique rural lifestyle of
Kaua’i.
“We’re all in a very special place,” he said.
Robinson said
the seal watch program hopes Kauai’s entire lodging industry will help spread
the word. Even if hotels and resorts don’t have beach access, their guests
could still encounter seals while sightseeing, he noted.
TGI editor
Pat Jenkins can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) and
pjenkins@pulitzer.net
A baby monk seal frolicked at the water’s edge
under the watchful eye of mom before leaving last month.
