April 11, 2024 — An eight-month-old Hawaiian monk seal was found relaxing on the beach on Kauai mid-March. That alone was not an unusual sight but he had around 30 feet of fishing line trailing from his mouth, which was concerning.
RS10, as the monk seal is known, was rescued due to concern that he had ingested the hook or that it was lodged somewhere in his mouth. A hook can be life threatening because it can affect proper eating or can cause damage to internal organs.