Woman bitten by monk SEAL in Hawaii

Woman bitten by monk SEAL in Hawaii
An elementary school teacher, 60, was bit by a monk seal, who was 'protecting' her newborn pup, off a Hawaiian beach after wildlife officials urged swimmers to avoid the area.Show more

The attack took place on Sunday morning around 8am at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki, on the island of O'ahu.
The female swimmer's identity was not released by authorities as she asked for anonymity.

She was about 20 feet into the water when the monk seal named Rocky suddenly emerged and started to attack.

The woman is seen in the video attempting to swim in the other direction and away from the seal, but as she gets closer to shore, the seal charges at her.

Her husband, who spoke to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and was not named, said the seals were near the War Memorial Natatorium, which is permanently closed, when his wife and other swimmers entered the water, and that there was no visible signs of the seals from the beach.

'Sunday morning the seals were at the far end of the beach near the Natatorium,' he told DLNR, according to Maui Now. He reportedly said the baby seal went out of sight, swimming into the Natatorium's dilapidated pool - which is situated in the ocean right next to the beach.

When the mommy seal woke up, she began 'very agitated' and started 'barking,' the woman's husband, who videoed the attack from the 12th floor of a nearby condominium, said.

'[It was] clearly distressed by the absence of her pup,' he told DLNR, Maui Now reported.

However, video shot by the husband, shows the two seals near the beach before they turned around and started heading toward the Californian and attacking her.
Witnesses were heard screaming from the shore, watching the terrifying encounter unfold as they screamed in fear: 'Get out! Get out!'

The woman's head is bobbing back and forth and at times underneath the ocean's waters as it ripples. Her husband said she was wearing a 'swim cap' and that 'her head was in the water when both seals appeared.'

'She could not hear 50 or so people on the beach screaming for swimmers to get out of the water,' he reportedly told DLNR. He said she went and was able to stand up, her heard the terrified screams and started 'swimming away from the seals.'

This went on for a few horrifying moments until a man kayaking comes to the women's rescue.

Two men in swim trunks are seen carrying the woman to safety where she received medical care. She suffered from lacerations on her face, back, and arms, according to Hawaii News Now.

At this point, her husband left the condominium and began racing toward the beach, 'thinking she's going to die.'

Witness Curt Otsuka told Hawaii News Now: 'If it wasn't for the kayak guy paddling over to save her, she would have got like chomped.'
Another witness told Hawaii News Now that the woman ignored calls from marine life officials to leave the area.

Hawaii Marine Animal Response said in a statement on Facebook on Sunday that the Hawaiian monk seal had given birth to a pup approximately two weeks ago in the area, and officials had been monitoring their mother and her baby's activity.

'People are again reminded that Hawaiian monk seal moms with pups are protective, can be dangerous, and have inflicted serious wounds on nearby swimmers,' the statement reads.

Along the beach are signs warning of potential interactions with the sea creatures.

'We continue to warn people not to engage in in-water activities when a monk seal mother with a pup are in the area and to stay at least 150 feet from mother seals with pups,' Hawaii Marine Animal Response said.
However, her husband said the couple had been visiting Hawaii from California for the past three weeks and were in the Aloha State when the pup was born.

'[We] saw the pup at Kaimana immediately after it was born,' he reportedly told DLNR. 'We’ve read all the safe viewing signs and abide by them. These seals swam up behind her and she was not aware of them... I believe all of the commotion on the beach likely added to her frustration.

'There is no one to blame here. All my wife did was go swimming and she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

DLNR will also not be fining the woman, however, a federal fine from NOAA could still be given to her.

Following the attack, the woman told DLNR that 'neither of us could sleep last night.'

'Every time I closed my eyes, I was seeing the mother seal's mouth,' she said.

The animal response team encouraged beachgoers to follow the guidance and instructions provided by HMAR, NOAA, Ocean Safety, or other authorized parties on the beach.

'Continued vigilance is advised for several more weeks until the mother monk seal weans her pup.'