Newest addition to Oahu’s monk seal family has been named!

HONOLULU (KHON2) — It’s official, Oahu’s newest monk seal pup has been named!

The seventh-grade class at Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School has gifted the Kaimana Beach born seal a name to match its playful, yet mischievous personality.

Without further ado, the newest addition to the Oahu monk seal family is Pa’aki!

Students broke down the name and its meaning. According to students, Paʻa “signifies being bound to its mother, as the pup consistently stays close to her.”

The first part of the pup’s name represents its stubbornness and playful behavior on the sand and in the water.

The second part, ʻaki, is a tribute to Anakala Larry Akiyama, who also goes by Uncle Aki.

Uncle Aki is said to be the “original beach boy who safeguarded the seals at Kaimana Beach for many years.”

“The class was thrilled to name this year’s Waikīkī pup and they realized how important it is to learn the meaning and moʻolelo of their own names and to create meaningful ones for our monk seal pups,” said the Hawaii Marine Animal Response in a social media post.

Each year, HMAR allows local keiki to name the newest monk seal pup as an opportunity for them to learn more about Hawaiian monk seals.