As their name suggests, Hawaiian monk seals are found only in the warm waters of the Hawaiian Islands. Once nearly driven to extinction by intense hunting in the 1800s, the species has been slowly recovering and today, an estimated 1,600 individuals remain.
Monk seal pups are born with a thick black coat, but they soon shed this newborn fur, transitioning to a dark gray or brown back and a lighter-colored belly. Once a year, they go through what′s known as a ″catastrophic molt,″ shedding the top layer of their skin and fur all at once. Seals that haven′t molted recently can even appear green from algae growing on their coat!
These mostly solitary seals spend much of their time swimming, foraging, or resting on beaches. They are opportunistic hunters, feeding on a variety of prey such as fish, octopus, squid, and crustaceans, which they find along the seafloor. They are agile swimmers and capable divers, reaching depths of over 550 meters (1,800 feet) and holding their breath for up to 20 minutes.