Monk Seal Monday #4: RIP | September 2013 | Edition: 1/1 NFT | License: Extended Editorial

First, let's get this out of the way... RIP (#MonkSealR70) is not dead. RIP stands for Rabbit Island Pup, which is where RIP was born in 2003. At that time, there were not as many Hawaiian monk seals on Oahu, so he was identified as having been born on Rabbit Island, and eventually it was shortened to RIP and that stuck.

RIP had been seen with fishing line entangling him, and volunteers had reported him to the hotline, with a NOAA team dispatched to remove it. Unfortunately, RIP had moved back into the water before all of the line was removed and then wasn't seen for several days.

I was supposed to be on duty for a mother and pup watch that morning, but I received a call from the NOAA team asking me if I would be willing to hike out to Ka'ena Point instead, and see if he was resting in one of the tide pools out there.

I hadn't really prepared for a two-mile hike (each way), but since it is along the ocean, I figured I could make it work. Out at Ka'ena Point in the early morning, I found several adult seals in the tidal pools, but not RIP.

As I prepared to head back to where I was parked, another group coming out the trail from the West side asked me if I had seen any seals, so I helped them find and responsibly view the seals in the tidal pools. While doing outreach, I commented that I had been looking for a particular seal, but hadn't found him. They mentioned that they had seen one about a half mile back towards Yokohama Beach, so I headed off that way to see if I could find him.

After traveling about a mile, it occurred to me that perhaps the seal had hauled out after they had seen him, and I started to turn back. However, I could see them approaching and they apologized but... no, he was further back towards Yokohama. We were within sight of Yokohama Beach, nearly four miles from where I was parked, when I finally found RIP peacefully snoozing.

I called in to report him found, and asked whether someone had come out from the other side, since clearly there was no fishing line visible. Apparently, I was the first to have seen him since they had tried to remove the line, so they asked me to take as many pictures as I could to document his condition.

After taking photos to document that he had no injuries, during which time he never even opened his eyes, leaving me with a low impact interaction with him, I made my way back to my car. A day that started with a hour drive to the North Shore to start a 7 AM shift at a birth beach wrapped up with the sun setting as I got back to my car. Just another day as a volunteer helping to conserve our endangered Hawaiian monk seals.

The Monk Seal Monday collection is 20 images curated from more than 10 years of photographing one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world, the Hawaiian monk seal. Only 1,400 remain and 30% of those are here today due to the direct intervention of the organizations working to conserve them. I have spent thousands of hours doing education and outreach as a volunteer on the beaches with these beautiful animals.

I've also been doing Monk Seal Monday posts on social media for longer than I can remember and will continue to do so every Monday. Despite all our best efforts, this is a species hanging in the balance. I hope my Monk Seal post each Monday helps call attention to this beautiful animal and the work to conserve them for future generations. Now, with NFTs curated from these Monk Seal Monday images, I hope to do more.

A portion of the proceeds from each sale in this collection will be donated to the non-profit organizations on the front lines of rescuing this species from extinction.

Jason O'Rourke is an award-winning wildlife and landscape photographer living in Hawaii, recognized by National Geographic YourShot, Outdoor Photographer, Hawaii Magazine, Digital Photo, American Photo, the Los Angeles Times, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, PhotoCon Hawaii, and Turtle Bay Resort.

Extended Editorial License: Can be used to display privately, or in commercial and non-commercial settings, or in groups with an unlimited number of participants. The License includes unlimited use and display in virtual or physical galleries, documentaries, and essays by the NFT holder. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution, or derivative works.