NOAA Fisheries: Kauaʻi monk seal back home after swallowing a fishing hook

Endangered Hawaiian monk seal RS10 is home on Kauaʻi thanks to community volunteers and joint agency efforts. The seal ingested a fishing hook and was treated at The Marine Mammal Center’s monk seal hospital on Hawaiʻi Island. After a successful hook-removal, RS10 was recently released back to the wild, according to NOAA FIsheries.

At 8 months old, RS10 was found on March 16, 2024, resting on the sand—with about 30 feet of fishing line trailing from his mouth. Volunteers on Kauaʻi reported the incident and staff from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources responded.

NOAA Fisheries reports that when fishing line is seen going into a monk seal’s mouth, the hook is generally either lodged somewhere in the mouth itself, or, even more concerningly, ingested. An ingested fishing hook is life-threatening for a monk seal, according to the agency. The hook can prevent the seal from eating properly. It can also cause internal damage that can lead to a seal’s death.

“Rescue was in RS10’s best interest since removing an ingested hook is complicated and not something that can be done on the beach,” according to NOAA.

A combined team from NOAA and DLNR successfully rescued RS10 on March 21 and the United States Coast Guard transported RS10 to The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola monk seal hospital on Hawaiʻi Island the next day.

The Marine Mammal Center’s veterinary team took radiographs (X-rays) and confirmed that a fishing hook was lodged in the seal’s esophagus. The Center’s team used special dehooking tools to safely remove the ingested hook while RS10 was under anesthesia, according to NOAA. “RS10 recovered well from his procedure, and received fish and anti-inflammatory drugs to aid in the post-recovery process,” the agency reports.

On April 4, 2024, the US Coast Guard transported RS10 back to Kauaʻi, where he was successfully released near his capture location.

NOAA reports that RS10 has been spotted after release looking healthy now that he is hook-free.  “Our thanks to the Kauaʻi community volunteers, DLNR, the US Coast Guard, and The Marine Mammal Center for making RS10’s recovery possible,” NOAA said.

To help save a life and keep seals hook-free the following FAST tips for Fishing Around Seals and Turtles was offered by NOAA.

Learn more about RS10’s treatment at The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola hospital.