Monk Seal Monday #10: Wāwāmalu | June 2018 | Edition: 1/1 NFT | License: Extended Editorial

Wāwāmalu (#MonkSealRK24) was the second pup born to Kaiwi (#MonkSealRK96) in 2018. While doing outreach shortly after he was weaned, I found Wāwāmalu sleeping, which is a peaceful but mostly uneventful (or even boring) shift.

As I began to focus on the waves behind him, I noticed that he was popping his head up from time to time but when I swung the camera to where he was, he would go back to snoozing.

Finally, I saw him start to lift his head and managed to swing the camera in time to capture this moment, which almost looks like he's laughing at me, doesn't it?

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.