KCollett
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If you like long narratives, this is a post for you! Or just scroll down to see the photos.
The day my wife and I spent at Hōnaunau Bay, Hawai'i was one our most memorable for a number of reasons. We spent some time at the popular local beach, called Two Step by some of the locals. It is called that because you take two steps down into the water from the rock ledge that lines part of the bay (natural stairs). The bay has some pretty good snorkeling, and is famous for its dolphins.
The bay contains a deep bowl filled with white sand, with good visibility to the ocean itself. A great place to play, while still keeping an eye out for predators. And if a shark does show up, there is good access to the open ocean. It that warm blue water we swam with 11 spinner dolphins. What a fantastic experience, with them coming close enough to us to touch (but we didn't). With a story like that, you might expect some super dolphin images. Of course my GoPro battery was dead. I will have to rely on memories.
The dophins spent hours in the bay, so later in the day I went out on a kayak and had the spinners spinning out of the water right beside me. Another treat. I also forgot my waterproof bag at home, so I would not risk taking my 7D out. Again, no pictures.
Next to the bay is the Village Of Refuge national historic site - Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau. Before the arrival of Europeans, this village was literally a place of refuge for those who ran afoul of the local rulers. If you could make your way to the village alive, you were allowed to stay. The site has some wonderful recreations of buildings from the "old days", plus some ruins. A really neat place to visit, and since it is on dry ground, I could take pictures!
When we were paying to get in, we were told part of the exhibit was closed due to a very recently fallen palm tree. Yet another area was closed due to an endangered Monk Seal that was hanging out on the beach. That caused my ears to perk up. No problem, we'd pay to go in despite the closures.
Monk Seals have been a pet project for a lot of the schools in Hawai'i, with children's art work and stories being use to promote awareness of the animal, and just as importantly, to educate the public to give the seals space when on beaches. The program has been a real success, and we saw that artwork at many locations on the island.
Here are a few pics of the seal, and a bonus shot of some recreated totems.
1. Snoozing Seal - Full body shot
2. Snoozing Seal - But a bit closer
3. Snoozing Seal - A slight roll over to change pressure points (I assume)
4. Snoozing Seal - Frontal shot. Do you see the green around the mouth? This is from marine algae growing in the fur, especially around the mouth.
5. Snoozing Seal - What I had to shoot around (plus kayakers in the bay).
Bonus Shot: Village of Refuge
Bonus Bonus Shot: St. Benedict's Catholic "Painted" Church in Captain Cook. I really enjoyed this little treasure, which is still in use. It dates from 1899.
I hope you enjoyed this little taste of Hawaii. Let me know if you did (or didn't). Chastisement about checking batteries and other equipment are fair game too.
Cheers!
Ken
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YES!!! I did ENJOY your awesome little taste of Hawaii 
Great times it seems you had and congrats for getting a view of the monk.