the hawaiian monk seal (whose hawaiian name means "the dog that runs in rough waters") has a short, broad, and flat snout, with long nostrils that face forward. it has a relatively small, flat head with large, black eyes, eight pairs of teeth, and a short snout with the nostrils on top of the snout and vibrissae on each side. the nostrils are small, vertical slits, which close when the seal dives under water. additionally, their slender, torpedo-shaped body and hind flippers allow them to be very agile swimmers. adult males are in weight and in length, while adult females tend to be, typically, slightly larger, at and in length. when monk seal pups are born, they weigh and are in length. as they nurse for about 6 weeks, they grow considerably, eventually weighing between by the time they are weaned, while the mother loses up to .