Endangered Species Life List

On the island of Kauai are two Tombolo (an attached island formed by erosion and wave action) and one of those is located on Poipu Beach near where we stayed. While walking the beach (28 Aug 2010), I enjoyed my first sighting of an endangered seal, roped off along the sand bridge that connected the small island of volcanic rock (the Tombolo). Signs on the post indicated that it was an endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi). I observed the seal as the sun set and the western sky began to glow with various shades of red and orange, and the ocean lapped up to the edge of the seal. As the tide come in the seal moved. At times it would place its head under the sand, then rise up and flip the sand off its body, opening one eye only on occasions. I had hoped to capture a glimpse of the seal retreating to the ocean before nightfall for its evening feeding bout. However, the seal only moved farther up on the beach and turned its body to capture the last of the solar rays. As it turns out female Monk Seals require a large amount of undisturbed and uninterrupted sleep and will sleep for long periods of time. This explains the roped off area surrounding the seal to prevent human - seal interaction. The sleeping seal did not seem to mind the crowd of people that gathered along the edge of the rope to photograph and look upon the seal with wide-eyed wonder. Later that night I took a walk along the beach and the seal was still sleeping along the bridge. In the dark I ventured out to where the saltwater crashed upon the lava rock with violent roars and spray. On the sandy edge of the Tombolo I saw the silhouette of a resting sea turtle! Damn, no flashlight or camera!

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