Maui’s marine responders just got a serious upgrade. The Marine Institute at the Maui Ocean Center is launching the Maui Monk Seal Response Program, coordinating trained volunteers and staff to take reports, monitor haul-outs, and respond to molting and pupping events across the island. The plan adds a local hotline and ramps up beachside outreach so people and seals can share shoreline space—minus the close calls.
“This collaboration represents an exciting new chapter for marine conservation on Maui,” said Dustin Paradis, executive director of the Marine Institute, in remarks to Maui News. Paradis said NOAA approached the institute with the idea, and the work will involve NOAA’s Pacific Islands office, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Native Hawaiian community partners.
What the program will do
According to the Marine Institute, the program will staff a dedicated Maui hotline, document sightings, monitor haul-outs, and respond to molting and pupping events while providing outreach to reduce risky human interactions. The team will assist with interventions when needed and collect data to support recovery efforts across the islands.
Pupping season and population trends
NOAA Fisheries reports 35 monk seal pups so far in 2025 and has documented multiple rescues and rehabilitations showing why fast local response matters. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources recorded 34 pups in the main Hawaiian Islands in 2024, and NOAA’s estimates show the total population climbed to about 1,600 seals in 2024 after an increase from 1,435 in 2019. See the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources for the latest counts and details, as per the Office of the Governor.
How to report sightings and stay safe
On Maui, the institute is operating a monk-seal hotline at 808-292-2372 and asks that people maintain at least 50 feet from a seal and 150 feet from a mother and pup. For emergencies and sightings elsewhere in the state, the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline remains available at 888-256-9840; early reporting gives responders the best chance to help a pup in trouble. Local guidance and the new hotline are posted at the Marine Institute, and Maui News covered the program’s launch.
Why this matters for Maui
Partners say building local capacity shortens response times for entanglements, malnutrition, and other threats, and helps reduce risky interactions at busy beaches. NOAA notes that timely interventions—from dehooking hooked animals to transporting underweight pups to Ke Kai Ola in Kona—have allowed many seals to recover and return to the wild, underscoring the value of a local response network. NOAA Fisheries emphasizes that reporting and keeping a respectful distance are among the most effective actions residents and visitors can take to support recovery.
