Kaua’i, Hawaii, USA

August 7-8, 2026

Kaua’i is famous for its long golden beaches sitting and dramatic green hills.

But the most beautiful of all the beaches we came across was this secluded cove just a fifteen minute walk down the hill from our AirBnB.

We thought that seals were cold water animals but they apparently like a tropical vacation as much as the next guy.

This is, in fact, a Hawaiian Monk Seal, one of the rarest seals in the world. They are only found in the Hawaiian islands and there are only around 1600 t0 1700 left alive, although the population has been increasing in recent years after decades of decline. Their Hawaiian name is ilio holo i ka uaua which loosely translates to “dog that runs in rough water.”

Another endangered animal that has been making a comeback is the the nene or Hawaiian goose. Unusually for geese, the nene spend much of their time walking rather than flying or swimming. Their ancestors flew over from North America and finding few predators and lots of suitable land habitat gradually evolved to spend more time walking. A particularly interesting adaptation is that they have less webbing between their toes then their close cousins, Canadian geese, which makes it easier for them to walk. Unlike many of the native birds of New Zealand, the nenes, however, never lost the ability to fly and swim if the need arises.

Although the nene is the Hawaiian state bird, wild chickens could also make a good claim to the title. They are simply put, everywhere. According to our friend, neighbor and local Hawaii expert, Philip, hurricanes, particularly Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992 led to lots of domestic chickens being released into the wild when their coops were destroyed. We guess there is must be some truth to the old “flying the coop” adage. They are particularly prevalent in in Kaua’i where the mongoose that prey on the eggs and chicks on the other islands were never established. It’s not unusual to see a hen being followed around by six or more chicks.