Federal officials have identified a dead seal that washed ashore off of Nanakuli earlier this month as RH32, also known to many in the community as Ka‘ale.
Monk seal experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that the dead seal that washed ashore off of the coast of Nanakuli on May 6 was Ka‘ale. NOAA said the seal was 10 years old, and a regular along the Waianae coast.
NOAA said thanks to a report to its hotline, it was able to coordinate a timely recovery, with the support of partners, including the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response, and. Honolulu Ocean Safety.
“Our team is now performing a post-mortem examination to evaluate any factors that could help clarify what happened to this seal, who was well-loved by the local community.” said NOAA in a post. “A thorough examination with diagnostic assessments can take several weeks to complete.”
Ka‘ale’s life was once at peril, in October 2018, when a large, barbed, circle hook got stuck to his tongue. Fortunately, the hook — which could have led to a life-threatening infection — was lodged in his tongue and not further down, and veterinarians were able to remove it and release him back to the wild.
NOAA said he also had three small hooks in his stomach at the time, based on X-ray images, but the team decided to release him because he was otherwise healthy and in excellent condition. At that time, Ka‘ale was only two years old.
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Monk seal advocates, meanwhile, have taken to social media to mourn the loss of the beloved seal that they watched closely, with some remembering Ka‘ale when he was just a pup. Some have also expressed concerns over the marks that were across his dorsal side, which appear to be consistent with a boat strike.
NOAA thanked its partners for their swift coordination in the response, along with beachgoers and the larger community for their vigilance in reporting the incident. Honolulu Ocean Safety brought Ka‘ale back to shore.
To report injured or dead marine animals, contact NOAA’s marine wildlife hotline at (888) 256-9840.
