Hawaiian Monk Seal — Kenyon and Rice 
225 
TABLE 6 
Estimated Age Group Composition of Two 
Populations of Hawaiian Monk Seal 
AGE 
GROUP 
KURE 
ATOLL 
MIDWAY 
ATOLL 
to : 
rAL 
Num- 
ber 
Per 
cent 
Num- 
ber 
Per 
cent 
Num- 
ber 
Per 
cent 
Adults 
Subadults 
79 
62 
53 
75 
132 
66 
(2+? years) . . 
19 
15 
8 
11 
27 
14 
Yearlings 
7 
5 
6 
8 
13 
6 
Pups 
23 
18 
4 
6 
27 
14 
Total 
128 
100 
71 
100 
199 
100 
counts of yearlings and subadults may be 
proportionately low. An unknown number of 
animals were doubtless at sea at both atolls. 
Mortality 
Little evidence of mortality among monk 
seals came to our attention. We found only 
one dead adult, on December 6, 1956. As no 
baculum could be found, it was probably a 
female. The occipital region of the skull was 
fractured. The only other dead seal we saw 
was a prematurely born female pup men- 
tioned elsewhere. 
On January 14, 1957, an adult with an 
infected penis was observed. Northern fur 
seals occasionally die as a result of similar 
infections. 
Scars of various sizes are present on the 
bodies of all monk seals except nursing pups. 
Most are visible as dark lines through the 
hair, they range in length from about an inch 
to 2 feet. Most of these are probably made by 
contact with sharp coral. On December 20, a 
seal was observed with a large, open, fresh 
wound on its side. Of 67 seals seen at close 
range on January 14, 2 had arge areas of bare, 
dark-brown scar tissue on their sides (Fig. 3). 
It is surprising that an animal could survive 
such a wound. One adult was seen with half 
of the outer digit of the right hind flipper 
Fig. 3. A large scar (partially hidden by the foreflipper), possibly inflicted by a shark, marks the side of this 
resting monk seal. Midway Atoll, January 14, 1957 (KWK 57-3-17). 
