Endangered Hawaiian monk seal born in Waikiki

HONOLULU — An endangered Hawaiian monk seal has given birth on a Waikiki beach.

Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Program coordinator Angela Amlin says the seal was born late Wednesday or early Thursday.

It’s the first seal to be born in the densely populated tourist district since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began keeping track in the 1970s.

Mother and pup attracted dozens of onlookers as they rolled around on the sand. Volunteers kept people at a safe distance behind a rope barrier.

Amlin says monk seals normally like to give birth in quiet spots.

The seal nicknamed Rocky has gone to Kauai to give birth in the past. This time she had her pup at Kaimana, an area in Waikiki popular with Honolulu residents.

Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species.