Ocean Mysteries – Hawaiian Monk Seal - Georgia Aquarium

Ocean Mysteries – Hawaiian 

Monk Seal 

Activity Pack 

6 th – 8 th Grade 

Episode Description: 

With only 1,100 left, Hawaiian monk seals are in a battle for 

survival. Helping them in this fight is a group of dedicated 

men and women from NOAA. Follow host Jeff Corwin as he 

teams up with them to learn more about this native Hawaiian 

species and how to prevent their extinction. They will travel to 

a remote island to examine monk seals up close and be a part 

of a rescue effort to save a monk seal in trouble. 

The following activity pack has been designed to support the Ocean 

Mysteries programming being aired on ABC affiliate stations. The 

goal of this resource is to provide educators with continued learning 

opportunities beyond the featured episode. 

Contents of this activity pack include: 

Hawaiian Monk Seal Crossword 

Hawaiian Monk Seal Word Search 

Hawaiian Monk Seal Story 

Hawaiian Monk Seal Fun Facts Sheet 

Hawaiian Monk Seal Resource Guide 

Lesson and Curriculum Links 

Georgia Aquarium Education Department 1


Student Sheet 

Across 

2. Monk seals are critically endangered; therefore, there are numerous _____ efforts 

underway in Hawaii to help preserve the population. 

4. Human _____ and marine debris present dangers to wildlife. 

5. When female monk seals feel threatened, they will sometimes abandon their _____ to 

escape the threat. 

6. NOAA helps monitor the health of monk seal populations. NOAA stands for the 

National Oceanic and _____ Administration. 

7. Wildlife _____ create safe habitats for animals living in Hawaii and surrounding 

waters. 

Down 

1. After sedating a monk seal, researchers collect information about the animal by 

drawing _____ samples and tagging them before releasing them back into the 

ocean. 

3. Workers attach a radio _____ with a GPS signal to show where monk seals are 

traveling to find their food. 



Answer Sheet 

Across 

2. Conservation 

4. Activities 

5. Pups 

6. Atmospheric 

7. Sanctuaries 

Down 

1. Blood 

3. Transmitter 


Hawaiian Monk Seal Word Search Student Sheet 

N W I K O L K C Q Z I V T E U 

V O N I V V R J D A T O N U B 

K O I C A I Z P Q N V L E C S 

M J C T T W P A E L X C M S K 

J N O I A Z A M K J J A R E R 

F O C O E V N H F P M N E R J 

Y A R R F O R Y E Q G O G A S 

L X U O D F Z E M D K E N Z L 

Z G R N T A S J S U L S A B B 

N Y A S E A L P T N V V D L C 

L B S C R J W S R T O S N R I 

A Z T F T Y P G L I I C E G V 

D E S T R U C T I O N J U N L 

R P A O U G M B W R N G G T W 

L S I R B E D F Z X K L A Z Y 

ABANDONMENT CONSERVATION CRITICAL 

DEBRIS DESTRUCTION ENDANGERMENT 

HAWAII MONK OFFSPRING 

RESCUE SEAL VOLCANOES 


Hawaiian Monk Seal Word Search Answer Sheet 

N W I K O L K C Q Z I V T E U 

V O N I V V R J D A T O N U B 

K O I C A I Z P Q N V L E C S 

M J C T T W P A E L X C M S K 

J N O I A Z A M K J J A R E R 

F O C O E V N H F P M N E R J 

Y A R R F O R Y E Q G O G A S 

L X U O D F Z E M D K E N Z L 

Z G R N T A S J S U L S A B B 

N Y A S E A L P T N V V D L C 

L B S C R J W S R T O S N R I 

A Z T F T Y P G L I I C E G V 

D E S T R U C T I O N J U N L 

R P A O U G M B W R N G G T W 

L S I R B E D F Z X K L A Z Y 


Hawaiian Monk Seal Story Student Sheet 1 

Have students as a group or individually come up with the following 

words. Then, insert the words into the attached story and read aloud. 

1. Noun (continent) ___________________________________ 

2. Noun ___________________________________ 

3. Adjective (ending in ―ed‖) ___________________________________ 

4. Adjective (ending in ―ed‖) ___________________________________ 

5. Adverb ___________________________________ 

6. Plural noun ___________________________________ 

7. Exclamation ___________________________________ 

8. Adjective ___________________________________ 

9. Adjective ___________________________________ 

10. Noun ___________________________________ 

11. Plural noun ___________________________________ 

12. Adjective (ending in ―ing‖) ___________________________________ 

13. Verb ___________________________________ 

14. Noun ___________________________________ 

15. Noun (ocean name) ___________________________________ 

16. Adjective ___________________________________ 

17. Adverb ___________________________________ 


Hawaiian Monk Seal Story Student Sheet 2 

Monty, a Hawaiian monk seal, was visiting his cousin Mal, a Mediterranean 

monk seal, at his home off the coast of ____________ called Cabo Blanco. This is actually 

1. Noun (continent) 

where the only remaining ____________ of monk seals live. 

2. Noun 

When Monty first met Mal in Africa, he was _________________ to see just how 

3. Adjective (ending in “ed”) 

big Mal’s family was. Monty was ______________ to see them all living together in one 

4. Adjective (ending in “ed”) 

place. Monty’s family back in Hawaii was spread all over the islands and they 

__________ gathered even in small __________________. 

5. Adverb 

6. Plural noun 

―__________! I have never seen a seal colony before!‖ Monty told Mal. 

7. Exclamation 

―It is a very __________ home. Because there are so few seals and limited places 

8. Adjective 

left to gather, this is the last Mediterranean monk seal colony left in the world. It is very 

____________, but we worry that something may happen to this place.‖ Mal confessed 

9. Adjective 

to Monty. 

―With so much going on all the time, how do you keep up with the rest of your 

____________?‖ 

10. Noun 

―I do not even try to keep up with my _____________, let alone the rest of my 

11. Plural noun 

family,‖ replied Mal. ―I just take care of myself. There are about 150 of us in this one 

place.‖ 


―Well, speaking of taking care of yourself. I am ___________. Do you want to go 

12. Adjective (ending in “ing”) 

get something to ____________?‖ Monty asked. ―I don’t know about you, but I would 

13. Verb 

really like to find some fish, or even a(n) _____________ or two. I could even eat en eel if 

14. Noun 

I could find one! Those are the things that I usually eat back home. Do you have 

anything like that here in Africa?‖ 

Mal replied, ―We have all of that here, but it might be a little different than what 

you have over in the _____________, but I love it.‖ 

15. Noun (ocean name) 

Although it was very ____________ from what he was used to at home in 

16. Adjective 

Hawaii, Monty thought he was going to ____________enjoy his visit with his relatives in 

17. Adverb 

Africa. 


Hawaiian Monk Seal Fun Facts 

Hawaiian monk seals prefer warm tropical waters and are primarily found in six 

breeding subpopulations in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. 

Monk seals get their name from the folds of skin on their head that resemble a 

monk's hood The Hawaiian name for monk seal is "llio holo I ka uaua" meaning 

"dog that runs in rough water." 

Monk seals typically weigh between 375 and 450 pounds and measure between 7 

and 7.5 feet long. Females are slightly larger than males. Pups are about 3 feet 

long at birth and weigh 35 pounds on average. 

Whiskers are used to feel vibrations in the water and help seals detect food and 

navigate their environment. 

Although they mainly eat small bony fish, monk seals have been known to eat 

octopi and eels. 

Monk seals breed and haul-out (lay) on sand, corals, and volcanic rock; they are 

often seen resting on beaches during the day. 

The Hawaiian monk seal is classified as ―Critically Endangered‖ by the 

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Threats include 

entanglement in fishing gear, other marine debris, and habitat encroachment by 

humans. Entanglements limit the seal’s ability to eat and swim, thus threatening 

their survival. 

The Hawaiian monk seal is one of three species of monk seals. The others are the 

Mediterranean monk seal which is critically endangered and the Caribbean 

monk seal that is extinct. 

Conservation efforts are in place to raise awareness about monk seals and 

increase our knowledge to protect this species. 

Transmitters are attached to the fur of a seal to gather location and dive data. 

This is important for understanding the life history of the seal. These 

transmitters also provide important information such as dive depths, location, 

and feeding locations. 

―Seal protection zones‖ are set up to create a cautionary border for onlookers 

who may get too close and disturb resting monk seals. 


Hawaiian Monk Seal Resource Guide 

Internet Resources: 

Defenders of Wildlife 

http://www.defenders.org/hawaiian-monk-seal/basic-facts 

Basic facts about the Hawaiian monk seal. 

Earth Trust 

http://www.earthtrust.org/wlcurric/seals.html 

Information includes the biology and natural history of Hawaiian monk seals, factors 

affecting their populations, and protective measures in effect to save them from 

extinction. 

Marine Conservation Biology Institute 

http://mcbi.marine-conservation.org/what/what_pdfs/sealFacts.pdf 

This is a fact sheet about the most endangered endemic marine mammal in America— 

the Hawaiian monk seal. 

Monachus-Guardian.Org 

http://www.monachus-guardian.org/index.php 

Fact sheets on the Mediterranean, Hawaiian, and Caribbean monk seals, their biology, behavior, 

habitat, history, and declining numbers. 

National Geographic 

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hawaiian-monk-seal/ 

Fast facts about the Hawaiian monk seal. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Protected Resources Division 

http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/prd_hms_index.html 

Information about the Hawaiian monk seal’s natural history, physical description, 

population size, and threats. 

Book Resources: 

Ching, Patrick. The hawaiian monk seal. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press, 1994. 

Kalman, Bobbie. Endangered monk seals. New York, NY: Crabtree Pub., 2004. 

Williams, Terrie M. The odyssey of KP2. Penguin Press HC. 


Lesson and Curriculum Links 

Environmental Protection Agency 

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/downloads/Pacific%20Islands%20A3%20 

_2.6.09_.pdf 

―Impact of Climate Change on Hawaiian Monk Seals‖ lesson plan. An interactive 

lesson where students will work to answer ―What possible factors have caused the 

Hawaiian monk seals to become endangered?‖, ―What is the ecological relationship 

between coral reefs and the monk seal?‖, and ―What can humans do to help increase 

monk seal populations?‖ 

National Geographic 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/g68/ccmonkseal.html 

―Diving in to Save the Monk Seal‖ lesson plan. An interactive lesson where students 

will use the internet to learn about monk seal research and the ecosystem reserve that’s 

been established in part to protect the seals. 

Partnerships for Reform through Investigative Science and Math 

http://hilo.hawaii.edu/affiliates/prism/documents/MonkSealResearchExpeditionLes 

sonEight.pdf 

Students will take a virtual research expedition to observe Hawaiian monk seals in their 

habitat on the shores of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. They will become marine 

scientists and collect data on what they observe during their research assignment.

Ocean Mysteries – Hawaiian Monk Seal - Georgia Aquarium

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