Mother seal bites swimmer at Po'ipu

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau

PO'IPU, Kaua'i — The Hawaiian monk seal mother at Po'ipu Beach Park bit a swimmer who was outside the park's no-swim zone Sunday.

The incident led wildlife authorities to double the width of the zone by moving buoyed lines. They are considering closing the beach to swimmers. No one is sure whether the mother seal, which has a 2-week-old pup, will abide by the boundaries.

"We're kind of learning the safe distances as we go along," said wildlife biologist Don Heacock of the state Division of Aquatic Resources.

The swimmer, a Texas tourist who has since left the island, suffered a "nip on the butt" that included punctures and scrapes, Heacock said. It probably was simply a warning and could have been worse, he said.

Because the seals are an endangered species, the immediate vicinity of the mother and pup was cordoned off after the July 22 birth. The area is patrolled by volunteers and biologists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA spokeswoman Delores Clark said several of the endangered seals have come ashore at Po'ipu during the past few days, including large males, which can be aggressive toward females and pups.

"We think she's being more aggressive because of all the other seals," Clark said.