Hawaiian Monk seals turn up on beaches across the islands...especially on Oahu. From Sunset to Sandy's...but one made quite an impression.

"He's just one of the family really, chester and I met in 2001 on Kauai," said Monk Seal Volunteer DB Dunlap.

Chester soon became a household name around Kailua Beach. Making headlines around the state.

"They gave him a little nickname because it helped them identify with him," said Tracy Wurth who is a Monk Seal sighting coordinator.

"Such a great deal of community investment in chester, RK15 that he was a seal we knew for many years," said Marine Mammal Response Coordinator David Schofield.

But late yesterday afternoon - he was discovered dead on rabbit Island near Makapuu.

"Not surprising but still devastating that we lost him," said Dunlap.

Now Volunteers and NOAA want "Chester" to be the force behind a campaign to bring these animals out of extinction.

"The momentum generated from the care for him, we've got to let people know that there's 80 more seals out there that we need to care for in the main Hawaiian islands and it's all of our responsibility," said Schofield.

With only a handful left in Hawaii --Volunteers often work around the clock to keep them protected....with more help needed every day.

"We are in dire straights as to the future of these animals," said Dunlap. "Any volunteer will tell you that there's absolutely nothing voluntary about it, somebodys gotta do something."

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