A viral photo of two women posing with a Hawaiian monk seal on Kauai is under investigation after conflicting claims about whether the seal was real or AI-added.

• The photo, posted at Salt Pond Beach Park, showed two women close to a monk seal and drew backlash for appearing to violate wildlife protection rules.
• One of the women claimed the seal was added using AI and said they never got close to any seals in real life.
• A separate screen recording and an "original image" sent in by the women show the seal at close range, undercutting the AI claim, and an AI-detection tool flagged the image as altered.
• Wildlife officials and advocates say federal and state law bans harassing or disturbing monk seals, with required distances of 50 feet from a seal and 150 feet from a mother and pup.
• The state wildlife agency says it has received multiple reports and is coordinating a formal investigation.

Outlook: Expect the state investigation to determine whether the women actually approached the seal, with possible fines or citations if harassment is confirmed.