New Hawaiian Seal Hospital Is Pretty Cool

Photo credit: Brad Ballesteros|Special to West Hawaii Today

There are less then 1,000 monk seals in existence today and a new state-of-the-art hospital in Hawaii is working hard to save them.

The seals at Ke Kai Ola, or “The Healing Sea,” are malnourished and sick. Many have been attacked by sharks, struck by boats, or got caught up in trash or fishing gear.

The $3.2 million facility at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in North Kona had a grand opening on Tuesday, September 2. Ke Kai Ola has two pens with pools for juvenile and adult seals, two pens with pools for neonates, quarantine areas, a medical laboratory, food preparation area, staff and volunteer support areas, as well as an open-air visitor and education center.

Learn more from West Hawaii Today from their behind-the-scenes tour: http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/healing-place-monk-seals-blessing-and-grand-opening-ke-kai-ola-celebrated-tuesday