1996 32c Endangered Species: Hawaiian Monk Seal

US #3105c
1996 Hawaiian Monk Seal

• Part of set of 15 stamps picturing Endangered Species
• Issued during National Stamp Collecting Month

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Endangered Species
Value:   32¢First-Class mail rate
First Day of Issue:  October 2, 1996
First Day City:  San Diego, California
Quantity Issued:  14,910,000
Printed by:  Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method:  Lithographed
Format:  Panes of 15 (3 across, 5 down) from printing plates of 90 (9 across, 10 down)
Perforations:  11.1 x 11

Why the stamp was issued:  The pane of 15 Endangered Species stamps was issued as part of the US Postal Service’s National Stamp Collecting Month.  The theme for 1996 was “Collect and Protect.”  The USPS hoped these stamps would appeal to children, who would then become lifelong stamp collectors. 

About the stamp design:  The stamps show photographs of 15 animal species that live in America and re threatened with extinction.  The photos were taken by James Balog.  The animals chosen for the stamps are from all major geographic areas of the US.  The monk seal shown on the stamp lived at a facility in Honolulu, Hawaii.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the San Diego Zoo.  In 1996, the zoo was celebrating its 80th birthday.  The country of Mexico issued its own pane of endangered species stamps on the same day and took part in the First Day of Issue ceremony.  (The stamps were not a joint issue.)  In addition to honored human guests, two sea lions, an Andean condor, and a North American timber wolf were also in attendance at the celebration.

Unusual fact about the Endangered Species stamps:  The 1996 National Stamp Collecting Month was co-sponsored by the US Postal Service and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

About the Endangered Species Set:  The species shown on the pane of Endangered Species stamps are: Black-footed Ferret, Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly, Brown Pelican, San Francisco Garter Snake, Ocelot, Gila Trout, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Thick-billed Parrot, California Condor, Wyoming Toad, Woodland Caribou, Florida manatee, Florida Panther, Piping Plover, and American Crocodile.  All of them are listed on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. 

History this stamp represents:  The Hawaiian monk seal belongs to an ancient genus that split into three species: the Hawaiian, Caribbean, and Mediterranean monk seals.  Today the fate of these tropical seals rests on the survival of the Hawaiian species.  Already, the Caribbean species has reached extinction and the Mediterranean is dangerously close, with a population of less than 500.
Found among the islands of northwestern Hawaii, these playful creatures spend much of their time diving for fish, lobster, and octopus.  Between dives they can be seen basking on the sunny coral atolls.  Once numbering in the thousands, their population has steadily declined since the early 1800s.  Like other seals, Hawaiian monk seals have been exploited for their fur and oil, but more recently it is the expansion of commercial fishing that poses a greater threat.  Not only do the seals become entangled in fishing nets, but they must also compete for the fish and lobster – their primary food sources.
Additionally, a high ratio of males to females has resulted in fewer pups being born.  Sharks further reduce the number that survive until adulthood.  To help the pups through this crucial time, a few are flown each year to Sea Life Park in Honolulu where they gain weight and strength, before being returned to the atolls.