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Learn about Whales and Help Save a Life

Check out our new whale behavior visual guide! Dive in to discover the “why” behind the different behaviors you might see.

Learn fun facts about these gentle giants, what conservation efforts are helping to protect them, ways you can be a whale champion and more.

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Hawaiian monk seal Pearl
endangered

Pearl

Hawaiian Monk Seal
Neomonachus schauinslandi

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Hawaiian monk seal pup Pearl was found underweight and malnourished in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. One of only approximately 1,400 endangered Hawaiian monk seals alive today, Pearl was too thin and weak to survive on her own.

Pearl was rescued and brought to Ke Kai Ola, The Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiian monk seal hospital on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Once at Ke Kai Ola, Pearl was able to get the nutrition she needed to grow healthy and strong, while our animal care experts taught her how to catch fish on her own—a skill that would help ensure her future survival in the wild.

After about four months of rehabilitation, Pearl was released back to her home in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. She was fitted with a satellite tag before her release, allowing researchers to monitor her movements in the wild for several months. This tag provided our scientists with valuable data that will help them better understand how to protect this endangered species in the future.

Adopt Pearl



photo © The Marine Mammal Center / NOAA permit #18786

Age at Admit
Pup
Sex
Female
Rescue Location
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Diagnosis
Malnutrition, Maternal separation
Admitted
06/07/2015
Status
Released
Release Date
09/23/2015
Release Location
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Yes, I want to save a life!

Yes, I want to save a life!

You’ll be giving sick and injured animals the best possible care at the Center’s state-of-the-art hospital. With your gift today, you are giving a patient a second chance at life in the wild.

  • $35 You'll buy food for a hungry animal
  • $45 You'll provide life-saving medical care
  • $65 You'll make second chances possible

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