Walkway keeps
seals protected

A monk seal and her newborn
have been resting on a Kauai beach
since last week

POIPU, Kauai » As the Hawaiian monk seal mother and her newborn relax on the beach, a group of volunteers and wildlife officials are working busily to keep the pair safe and undisturbed on the heavily trafficked stretch of sand.

Officials said they are also working hard not to disrupt the lives of resort visitors in this popular Kauai beach area.

In the past, some people were unhappy that large portions of popular beaches had been cordoned off to protect seal newborns, said Chris Yates, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine mammal branch chief.

"We're trying to strike a fine balance between protecting the seals while allowing beachgoers to access the beach," he said.

This time around, officials are experimenting with a wind-screened walkway, put up just a day after the pup's birth last week.

The walkway allows visitors to pass between Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club and the Sheraton Kauai Resort section of Poipu Beach without having to make a longer detour around a parking boundary.

So far, the plan appears to be working.

"Some water came through the material on the high tide, but it survived," said Mimi Olry, the Kauai Marine Conservation coordinator.

The walkway also enables onlookers to get closer to the mother and pup without being seen by the pair.

Kathleen Nasser of Tucson, Ariz., a regular visitor to the site, cooed with glee as the pup rolled around in the waves Saturday.

"This is the highlight of my vacation," Nasser said.

Officials said the mother seal has given birth for at least the past two years on Kauai beaches. Her latest pup is a male.

Wildlife officials continue to hold training seminars twice daily, looking for more volunteers to help monitor the activity of the seals.

"It's all about coexistence," Yates said.