Who Would Kill a Monk Seal?

The writer investigates why endangered monk seals are being killed in Hawaii:

“‘This place should be crawling with monk seals!’ Robinson said as we got out to explore one bluff. ‘Something’s awfully wrong here. Awfully wrong.’

“Dana Rosendal, the pilot for the family’s helicopter company, was unfazed. We’d covered only a quarter of the island, he told Robinson, and we’d already seen 10 seals.

“‘Dana,’ Robinson cut in, ‘we’ve only seen five or six, plus one lousy turtle.’

“Rosendal ticked off each sighting, then counted up his fingers. Ten, exactly.

“‘Well, whoop dee do!’ Robinson shot back. ‘Ten seals!’”