Frequent Questions: Preventing and Investigating Monk Seal Harm and Disturbance

What should I do if I witness, or have a tip on, suspected harassment or harm of protected marine wildlife?

Report illegal or suspicious activity to:

• NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline: (888) 256-9840 (best number for all protected marine wildlife emergencies, enforcement is option 6)
• NOAA Office of Law Enforcement: (800) 853-1964
• Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE): (808) 643-DLNR (3567)

You can also send videos, photos, and social media links to respectwildlife@noaa.gov  or download and submit a report through the DLNRTip app.

What happens after I submit a report about a potential wildlife violation to the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline or NOAA Office of Law Enforcement?

NOAA Fisheries looks into every report of potential illegal activity involving protected marine wildlife in the Pacific Islands region. Our response to these reports will involve one or more of these actions:

1. Documenting the incident in our database

2. Opening a formal investigation

3. Conducting direct outreach to those involved

The most appropriate response depends on the circumstances surrounding each incident. Wildlife managers and enforcement officials continue to fine-tune a process that balances conservation benefits, available resources, and legal authorities.

What are the viewing guidelines and legal protections for Hawaiian monk seals?

Hawaiian monk seals are protected under federal laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. They are also protected under Hawai‘i state laws.

Marine Mammal Protection Act

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal. Collecting, restraining, tagging, disturbing, or feeding any marine mammal is also prohibited.

Endangered Species Act

Under the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.

Viewing Guidelines

Follow our Marine Wildlife Viewing Guidelines and observe Hawaiian monk seals from a safe and respectful distance. Do not approach or touch them.

Recommended Viewing Distance for Hawaiian Monk Seals

• At least 50 feet (15 meters) away—on land and in water
• View mother seals and their pups from at least 150 feet (about 45 meters) away
• Stay behind any signs or barriers and keep dogs on a leash

What should I do if I see a sick, injured, or dead Hawaiian monk seal?

Please immediately call the statewide NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at (888) 256-9840 to connect with trained and authorized responders. Because email accounts are not monitored 24/7, calling the hotline is the fastest way to ensure our team can respond quickly and provide the animal with the timely care it needs.

How does NOAA Fisheries determine a monk seal’s cause of death?

Veterinarians and authorized professionals from NOAA Fisheries and partner organizations will conduct a postmortem exam, which often includes a necropsy, or animal autopsy. Depending on the condition and location of the seal, these examinations can take place in the field or within a specialized facility.

We examine the seal's remains for clues about what caused the animal’s death. This includes looking for signs of physical injuries or structural trauma. We also screen for biological factors and underlying health conditions, such as malnutrition or disease.

A seal's cause of death may not be obvious. A thorough postmortem examination is necessary to rule out older, healed injuries or underlying health conditions that, while present, were not the cause of death.

Even after extensive analysis, determining the cause of death is often difficult because rapid decomposition can degrade vital evidence.

When postmortem exams and other information provide enough evidence, we attribute a specific or suspected cause of death.

The comprehensive postmortem exam process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, as special diagnostic assessments may be required.

Frequent Questions—Necropsies (Animal Autopsies) of Marine Mammals

How do human activities harm Hawaiian monk seals?

Human activities are a primary threat to monk seals in the main Hawaiian Islands. These impacts include accidental hookings and entanglements in fishing gear, as well as dog attacks on beaches. Monk seals also face environmental diseases like toxoplasmosis, a lethal infection spread through cat feces in the watershed. People have also intentionally harmed or killed Hawaiian monk seals.

How many monk seal deaths have been confirmed or suspected as intentional killings?

Determining if a monk seal was intentionally killed requires a rigorous, data-driven forensic process. In certain cases, postmortem examination evidence clearly indicates an intentional human act. In others, we may not have enough evidence to confirm intentional harm. These suspected cases involve severe injuries that are highly consistent with a deliberate human act, but where accidental or natural causes cannot be entirely ruled out.

We document all reported monk seal deaths, including both confirmed and suspected intentional killings. Since 2009, examinations have identified 17 seal deaths confirmed or suspected to be intentional killings, resulting from gunshot wounds, blunt force trauma, or other bodily injuries. One of these deaths involved a pregnant female.

Confirmed and Suspected Intentional Killings of Hawaiian Monk Seals, 2009–2026

Note: This table is updated annually.

View the Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports for comprehensive monk seal mortality information

How does NOAA Fisheries publicize monk seal deaths?

NOAA Fisheries tracks monk seal births and deaths to understand threats and broad population trends for recovering this endangered species. Every seal is important for recovery of the species, and we recognize that communities often know and recognize individual resident seals.

Our official reporting on Hawaiian monk seal mortality is published in the annual Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports.

What can help advance an investigation into the harassment or intentional killing of a Hawaiian monk seal?

Providing specific, high-quality tips, including first-hand witness accounts, can help advance a case. Tips can also include evidence, such as photos or footage capturing the behavior of both people and animals, as well as identifiers like faces, license plates, or vessel names.

Even a minor detail can provide a breakthrough that helps enforcement officers solve a case. If you are unsure if the information or photo you have is useful, collect the information and send it to the Office of Law Enforcement.

Anyone with information should contact the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964.

How does NOAA Fisheries enforce the laws protecting Hawaiian monk seals?

Endangered Hawaiian monk seals are protected under federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement investigates potential violations.

Following an investigation, NOAA OLE may refer a case to the NOAA Office of General Counsel Enforcement Section, which may pursue a civil enforcement action for penalties in accordance with the current Penalty Policy and Summary Settlement Schedules. As appropriate, cases may be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for criminal prosecution.