Once sheltered in the clear waters of remote atolls, this oldest living seal is now on the brink of extinction.

A string of tiny atolls and islands, almost 1,000 kilometers from civilization, the northwest Hawaiian Islands are a refuge for nearly 30 species of sea birds, endangered green sea turtles and a living fossil: the Hawaiian monk seal. Once sheltered in the clear waters of remote atolls, this oldest living seal is now on the brink of extinction.