After successful surgery and recovery, Hawaiian monk seal released back to the wild

Another endangered Hawaiian monk seal that accidentally swallowed a fish hook has been released back into the wild after help from veterinarians and volunteers.

Wildlife officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the juvenile, male monk seal RL72 was released back to the wild Thursday on Hawaii island after a successful surgery to remove the hook and his full recovery.

The seal was rescued from Kapalua, Maui after members of the public spotted him with a fishing line trailing from his mouth on March 30. He had been under the care of Ke Kai Ola, The Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiian monk seal hospital in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii island, for the past two weeks.

Once he felt the sand beneath him, RL72 made a beeline for the ocean and swam off.

“Our team is thrilled to have returned RL72 to his ocean home after a full recovery from a challenging surgery,” said Dr. Sophie Whoriskey, the center’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation veterinarian, in a news release. “Ingested fishing hooks can have potentially life-threatening implications.”

NOAA Fisheries and TMMC will continue to monitor the seal’s health and movements with the help of a temporary satellite tag. The seal also has a temporary bleach mark, “HI,” on his left side, and rear flipper tags labeled “L72” and “L73” to help identify him.

NOAA welcomes reports of Hawaiian monk seal sightings, including those of RL72, to its marine wildlife hotline at 888-256-9840.