10-04-2016, 06:52 PM
I had a slow day fishing. A shark bit my hook in half & i caught a 9" Bonefish which i released at sunrise.
At 11:20am my fishing buddy Wayne Choy pointed to a Hawaiian Monk Seal heading along the coastline towards us. I could tell something was wrong. It stayed within 20ft of the shore break & kept using it's front flippers to push itself up possibly looking for a place to rest.
It disappeared going down the coast acting the same way. At 1:30pm it came back and beached itself above the high tide line. I went to check up on the seal. Using my Iphone at max zoom i could see a clear monofilament fishing line leader (around 200lb test) wrapped around the poor animal. Worse, the line entered the seal's mouth but no external signs of the hook.
The poor animal looked in pain, barely breathing. I deduced this happen recently as the line was still clear & shiny with no opaqueness from the UV or growths like algae on it. Also the seal was very plump which told me it hasn't started relying on it's own body fat supply to survive yet.
I called DLNR (Dept of Land & Natural Resources) who referred my call to the Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance at 1-808-220-7802. Mary took my call & sent a field response team under Rheanne Berg to meet me. They told me a lifeguard also reported the hapless seal 10min before it beached itself.
In the meantime i kept curious people away from the seal. When the team arrived i guess the rising tide moving the animal around caused the seal to re-enter the water. I saw it swim straight out a surge channel & disappear.
From what i saw i figured this seal thought an Ulua fisherman's baited line was free dinner & got wrapped in the line after it swallowed the bait. The markings on the body showed this. Also GT "Ulua" fishermen use heavy monofilament leaders when shore casting. This is not the fisherman's fault. Most Ulua fishing is done at night & at times turtles to seals will mistakenly take the bait.
I found this whole situation very upsetting. I could see this poor animal was in pain from the hook it swallowed. If anyone finds a distressed seal please call it in. Monk Seals are an endangered local endemic species that only occurs only in Hawaiian waters.
Call the Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance at 1-808-220-7802 if you see this seal or any seal in distress. Thanks & God Bless!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wWJ_iTejGc
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At 11:20am my fishing buddy Wayne Choy pointed to a Hawaiian Monk Seal heading along the coastline towards us. I could tell something was wrong. It stayed within 20ft of the shore break & kept using it's front flippers to push itself up possibly looking for a place to rest.
It disappeared going down the coast acting the same way. At 1:30pm it came back and beached itself above the high tide line. I went to check up on the seal. Using my Iphone at max zoom i could see a clear monofilament fishing line leader (around 200lb test) wrapped around the poor animal. Worse, the line entered the seal's mouth but no external signs of the hook.
The poor animal looked in pain, barely breathing. I deduced this happen recently as the line was still clear & shiny with no opaqueness from the UV or growths like algae on it. Also the seal was very plump which told me it hasn't started relying on it's own body fat supply to survive yet.
I called DLNR (Dept of Land & Natural Resources) who referred my call to the Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance at 1-808-220-7802. Mary took my call & sent a field response team under Rheanne Berg to meet me. They told me a lifeguard also reported the hapless seal 10min before it beached itself.
In the meantime i kept curious people away from the seal. When the team arrived i guess the rising tide moving the animal around caused the seal to re-enter the water. I saw it swim straight out a surge channel & disappear.
From what i saw i figured this seal thought an Ulua fisherman's baited line was free dinner & got wrapped in the line after it swallowed the bait. The markings on the body showed this. Also GT "Ulua" fishermen use heavy monofilament leaders when shore casting. This is not the fisherman's fault. Most Ulua fishing is done at night & at times turtles to seals will mistakenly take the bait.
I found this whole situation very upsetting. I could see this poor animal was in pain from the hook it swallowed. If anyone finds a distressed seal please call it in. Monk Seals are an endangered local endemic species that only occurs only in Hawaiian waters.
Call the Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance at 1-808-220-7802 if you see this seal or any seal in distress. Thanks & God Bless!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wWJ_iTejGc
[signature]
thing is the seal is the looser[