Ethereum

Meli

Collection

Monk Seal Monday

Description

Monk Seal Monday #18: Meli | May 2014 | Edition: 1/1 NFT While hiking with a friend visiting Oahu on the North Shore, we were out on the reef at Kahuku Point, when this curious weaner, Meli (#MonkSealRF20), popped up in the shallow water and began to approach us. This weaner phase is a curious exploration and learning phase for Hawaiian monk seals, and Meli seemed interested in the two of us. Since we don't want Hawaiian monk seals to become acclimated to the presence of people, we backed away from the edge of the reef but I did capture this shot of her wide eyes looking up at us. The Monk Seal Monday collection is 20 images curated from more than 10 years of photographing one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world, the Hawaiian monk seal. Only 1,400 remain and 30% of those are here today due to the direct intervention of the organizations working to conserve them. I have spent thousands of hours doing education and outreach as a volunteer on the beaches with these beautiful animals. I've also been doing Monk Seal Monday posts on social media for longer than I can remember and will continue to do so every Monday. Despite all our best efforts, this is a species hanging in the balance. I hope my Monk Seal post each Monday helps call attention to this beautiful animal and the work to conserve them for future generations. Now, with NFTs curated from these Monk Seal Monday images, I hope to do more. A portion of the proceeds from each sale in this collection will be donated to the non-profit organizations on the front lines of rescuing this species from extinction. Jason O'Rourke is an award-winning wildlife and landscape photographer living in Hawaii, recognized by National Geographic YourShot, Outdoor Photographer, Hawaii Magazine, Digital Photo, American Photo, the Los Angeles Times, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, PhotoCon Hawaii, and Turtle Bay Resort.

Token

Contract: 0x495f...7b5e
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