Stopped by the pier on my way back from the grocery early this morning.
But by the time I decided to go for a swim… there was rather a lot of chop and the really protected side of the pier was otherwise occupied.
That’s Waimau and an unrelated juvenile male. Waimau is the largest female monk seal on Big Island. She is at least 200 pounds overweight. And how did this happen? She’s one smart seal.
Off the Kona coastline, there is a Kempachi fish farm to grow and harvest fish for the markets and restaurants of Big Island. Waimau was the first seal to figure out how to get fish out of the nets. (Other seals learned from her. She must have learned by watching dolphins.)
Waimau is so good at getting fish from the nets that she has become rather large. She is now estimated to weigh over 600 pounds, which is more than double the average weight of a female monk seal.
Despite her weight, Waimau is a healthy seal. She is able to swim and dive for long periods of time, and she frequently goes out to visit with groups who dive at night from the harbor. (Which isn’t far from the fish farm!)
Hey Hey Hey. Beautiful Sunday.