HONOLULU (AP) — Photos posted on social media indicate the public has been getting too close to Hawaiian monk seals, a critically endangered species protected by federal and state law, government researchers said in a new study.

Only about 1,400 Hawaiian monk seals remain in the wild, with about 1,100 in the Northwestern Hawaii Islands and 300 in the main Hawaiian Islands. The animals rest when they lie on the beach after hunting for food in the ocean most of the day. Humans can disrupt their rest if they get too close to the seals to take photos of them or take selfies with the animals.

The N...