A Hawaiian monk seal is back at sea after lifesaving surgery to remove a fishing hook it swallowed.

The 14-year-old, 400-pound seal known as Benny was seen off Makua Beach in early October with a fishing line hanging out of his mouth, Hawaii Public Radio reported. Scientist Charles Littnan recognized that as a sign that Benny might have swallowed a hook.

“We grabbed him, put him in the cage and brought him to the regional center where we work,” said Littnan, a lead researcher for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Program. “And we found that it was sort of our worst fears.”

X-rays showed that a barbed circle fishing hook was wedged deeply into Benny’s stomach wall. The seal immediately underwent surgery, followed by a couple weeks of recovery and a steady diet of 10 pounds of fish per day.

“Suturing all of that stuff up for an animal that has to swim, it’s a scary situation,” Littnan said.

Benny was taken back to the beach, where a group of scientists and volunteers cheered as he hauled himself to the water.

This was Benny’s fifth hook-related injury.

“Hopefully we will not be seeing any more hooks from Benny,” Littnan said. “Because five hooks is five too many.”

There are 10 or 11 seal hookings each year. Most occur on the mouth and can be removed on the beach.

State high court to hear case at McKinley

The state Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments at McKinley High School this morning as part of its community outreach program.

The session will run from 10 to 11 a.m. in the auditorium, with doors opening to the public at 9:30 a.m., the state Judiciary said. Master of ceremonies will be Circuit Judge Gary Chang, and attorney and state Rep. Della Au Belatti will moderate.

Juniors and seniors from Honolulu high schools will be attending. To prepare, they studied materials developed by the Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center and the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.

The court will hear oral arguments in State vs. Trinque, a Kauai marijuana possession case in which a defendant made self-incriminating statements before he was read his Miranda rights. No photography is allowed.