Seal RU99 keeps returning to a Kapaʻakea homestead
A year-old Hawaiian monk seal that first appeared May 31 in a grassy space between two parked cars at Hawaiiloa Mowat’s homestead has kept coming back, and the lifelong Molokaʻi resident’s posts about the animal have turned it into a viral presence. Local seal advocates say the attention is already helping sway public opinion on the island.
Mowat initially thought the animal was a cat. He rushed outside that night after hearing his dogs bark loudly in the front yard, with no reason to expect a monk seal — the animals never show up in his beachfront homestead community of Kapaʻakea or the surrounding southern shore, according to the report.
In choosing that spot, the seal picked the home of one of Molokaʻi’s most popular social media presences. Mowat, who calls the seal “Lino-boy,” posts often endearing updates about the animal to more than 14,000 followers.
Local seal advocates said they hope the remarkable, chance pairing will pay dividends. Molokaʻi still grapples with misinformation about the seals and sees occasional, deliberate killings of the animals by people, and the advocates said Mowat’s posts are already helping sway local opinion.
Marcel Honoré of Honolulu Civil Beat wrote the report, which the Associated Press published on Aug. 6.