An endangered Hawaiian monk seal who had ingested fishing gear is back home on Oahu after receiving treatment at The Marine Mammal Center hospital Ke Kai Ola in Kailua-Kona.
The successful rescue, treatment and release on Wednesday of R7AF, formally known as N2, was made possible thanks to the center’s partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, state Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR).
“To quickly return this hooked juvenile seal back to his ocean home is an incredible success story and a testament to the importance of our ongoing partnerships to help save this species,” said Dr. Sophie Whoriskey, the center’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Veterinarian. “As the only partner organization permitted by NOAA Fisheries to treat and rehabilitate Hawaiian monk seals, we’re proud to help give R7AF a second chance at life especially when the survival of each individual is critical to the recovery of the population.”
After the animal’s arrival at the hospital Jan. 28, the center’s team utilized special dehooking tools while R7AF was under anesthesia to safely remove an ingested hook avoiding a more complex surgery and recovery. The hook was attached to 9 inches of wire and a “pigtail” swivel, according to NOAA.
Following the procedure, an analysis from a series of blood and fecal samples taken during the initial care process showed no signs of illness, including toxoplasmosis. Based on the seal’s health status and heightened risk for habituation due to its age, the center recommended its immediate release, and NOAA initiated release plans.
The effort to help R7AF started Jan. 22 when NOAA received a report via of a seal on the Ka Iwi Coastline on Oahu with a wire fishing leader and a swivel hanging from its mouth. NOAA Fisheries staff responded to evaluate the seal’s condition, but it was not possible to attempt to remove the gear at the time due to logistical constraints.
The Hawaii Marine Animal Response then deployed 13 people who worked for 54 hours over five days to find the seal. N2 was ultimately located Thursday at Hanauma Bay. Trained experts from NOAA and HMAR performed a successful rescue that day and the seal was flown to Kona for care.
Since 2014, the center has rehabilitated and released 36 monk seals, most of which have been rescued from and returned to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as part of the center’s partnership with NOAA Fisheries, utilizing resources in the area to identify seals in need, rescue and rehabilitate them, and give them a second chance at life.
The public should keep a safe distance from monk seals and report sightings on Hawaii Island to the center’s response team at the 24-hour hotline at (808) 987-0765. Report hooked, stranded, or entangled monk seals to the NOAA Fisheries statewide toll-free hotline at (888) 256-9840.
NOAA Fisheries and HMAR will monitor R7AF for the next several weeks. The public can contribute to monk seal monitoring by reporting sightings of R7AF, and any Hawaiian monk seal, to the statewide NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at (888) 256-9840. R7AF can be identified by his flipper tags, or by the temporary bleach mark “N2” applied to the fur on his back.
