The Hawaiian Monk Seal mom stays with her baby for five or six weeks after giving birth. Last Sunday, after a little more than six weeks of nursing, Honey Girl left Ola Loa on the breeding site (somewhere on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii) and returned to the sea to search for food. In the first six weeks of her life, Ola Loa ate thick, fat rich milk so she was able to build up a decent fat store. In the next few weeks, the young monk seal has to fast. During this postweaning period, she will consume her own fat stores to develop the strong swimming muscles necessary for diving and foraging.

Gabi and I were lucky to see Ola Loa’s first hours after her mom abandoned her. The young monk seal spent some time in the water practicing her swimming skills or more probable searching for her mother, then she got some beach time at the end of the day to rest after the futile quest of her mom.

Gear: Canon EOS 7D, Canon 300mm F/4 lens, tripod