Monk seal pup born on Lanai is Rocky's great-granddaughter

Sep. 2—A new Hawaiian monk seal pup has been born and tagged on Lanai, according to wildlife officials, and is a significant birth in several ways.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says she is the first pup born on Lanai to Imikai, who is Rocky the monk seal's granddaughter. That makes the new pup, which has been tagged as RQ88, Rocky's great-granddaughter.

But also, Imikai was the first seal ever to be tagged as a weaned pup on Lanai. That makes RQ88 the first seal born to a seal tagged on Lanai. Additionally, officials said RQ88 is just the fifth known monk seal to be born on Lanai since 2014.

NOAA says Imikai and her pup, RQ88, were first spotted by a fisherman on Lanai on July 1.

They were at the same beach where Imikai herself was born in January 2018, to Hawaiian monk seal RB00, who makes frequent trips between Kauai and Lanai. Rocky gave birth to Imikai's mother, RB00, nicknamed Pu 'uwai, on Kauai.

According to officials, Imikai nursed RQ88 for about five weeks before weaning her at the end of July while being monitored by an NOAA team and partner, Pulama Lanai, a land and resource management company.

That puts her pretty close in age and weaning time to Koalani, Rocky's 14th pup. Rocky, now 22, gave birth to Koalani, a male pup, on July 9 at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki, a more crowded shoreline that resulted in many close encounters with humans.

NOAA relocated Koalani, or RQ58, upon weaning Aug. 19 to a more remote shore on Oahu away from so many humans, where he is doing well, officials reported.

While many female monk seals to the place where they were born to give birth to their pups—they can also surprise everyone by going elsewhere. This was the case with Rocky, the matriarch, who usually gives birth on Kauai but has now birthed and weaned two pups at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.

NOAA thanked the local fisherman on Lanai for reporting the monk seal pup so officials could monitor her progress.

With only about 1, 500 Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild, the pinnipeds are considered an endangered species and protected by federal laws. Monk seals are also Hawaii's official state mammal and are protected by state law.

The population of the seals recently reached a surpassing 1, 500 for the first time in more than 20 years after decades of decline, NOAA reported in May, which was due, in part, to hands-on conservation efforts.

Seal sightings and reports of injured marine wildlife can be reported to the NOAA hotline at 888-256-9840.