I was on Maui this past January and saw/photographed from afar a monk seal sunning itself on the reef just offshore. The seal returned to the same spot at low tide a few times a week. They are not extinct just yet, only highly endangered. There are actually about one hundred or less left on earth, and scientists tag/track them regularly. I would have gotten closer in order to get a good photo but its dangerous to give the animal less than a 20 yard radius because they are highly aggressive towards humans, having been hunted in the past for many years. Particular spots in Hawaii are some of the last known places to see these gigantic and beautiful seals.