Hawaiian Monk Seal

Description:

Critically Endangered. Federally Protected. Wikipedia: Its grey coat, white belly, and slender physique distinguish them from their cousin, the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)

Habitat:

Wikipedia: The majority of the Hawaiian monk seal population can be found around the Northwest Hawaiian Islands but a small and growing population lives around the main Hawaiian Islands. These seals spend two-thirds of their time at sea. Early studies (done at Midway Atoll) concluded that they frequently stayed inside the lagoons as opposed to the deep ocean, because of the larger abundance of fish found in their coral reefs. However, recent use of animal-born video imaging, temperature/depth recorders, and satellite telemetry has shown that monk seals actually spend much more time foraging in deeper water outside the reefs at subphotic depths of 300 metres (160 fathoms) or more. Hawaiian monk seals breed and haul-out on sand, corals, and volcanic rock; sandy beaches are more commonly used for pupping. Due to the immense distance separating the Hawaiian Islands from other land masses capable of supporting the Hawaiian monk seal, its habitat is limited to the Hawaiian Islands.

Notes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinmpg200... An endangered monk seal resting on the shore of Kappa Beach before entering the the ocean to feed. Only 1100 are know to exist and are considered the most endangered seal species. They are state and federally protected. "Monachus is a genus containing the monk seals, a group of three pinniped species. They are the only earless seals that are found in tropical climates. They are now extremely rare, and the genus is in imminent danger of going entirely extinct, with only very limited genetic variation in the two surviving species. Fossils of the species are known from the Pleistocene. These include: the Hawaiian Monk Seal (shown here), Monachus schauinslandi (critically endangered, about 1100) the Mediterranean Monk Seal, Monachus monachus (critically endangered, around 500) the Caribbean Monk Seal, Monachus tropicalis (extinct) -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monk_seal