A Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) on the idyllic beach of Midway (00006861)
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Description: The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is a fascinating creature that is considered a living fossil and appears like a myth. Some 60 Hawaiian monk seals live in Midway Atoll (2001). These animals - they live in the northwest of the island group on remote and uninhabited islands - only exist here and nowhere else in the world. The seals reach a length of two meters and a weight between 200 and 300 kilograms. They nourish themselves from reef fishes, octopuses, and lobsters, which they find in shallow waters. But they are also in the position of capturing their food in the open sea. The monk seals are exceptionally sensitive to human influences of any sort and are in danger of extinction.
Location: Hawaiian Islands, Midway, USA
Date of Capture: 19.07.2001