After 20 years, well-known Hawaiian Monk Seal found dead on Oahu beach

Oahu (KITV) — A well-known Hawaiian Monk Seal sadly was found dead on a windward O’ahu beach.

For more than 20 years, Honey Girl — also known R5AY — rested on and gave birth to at least a dozen pups on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i beaches.

The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) assisted NOAA in transporting her body to Kualoa Ranch for burial, where a pule (blessing) was performed by a Hawaiian cultural practitioner. The City and County of Honolulu Roads Maintenance Division and Hawai’i Marine Mammal Rescue (HMAR) also assisted.

Officials say her cause of death is not apparent. Although, the leading cause of death for monk seals in the main Hawaiian island is toxoplasmosis, which is a disease spread by feral cats. Two seals so far in 2020 have died because of toxoplasmosis.

“We are deeply saddened that Honey Girl, one of the most iconic representatives of her entire endangered native endemic Hawaiian species, will no longer grace beaches around O‘ahu. Her legacy calls for our collective respect and care for all our Hawaiian monk seals,” DLNR Chair Suzanne Case.

DLNR via KITV