NOAA confirms death of monk seal found on Oahu’s North Shore

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed the death of a Hawaiian monk seal at Three Tables, on Oahu’s North Shore.

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NOAA announced the death of RT68, also known as Mana, on Thursday. Mana was 2 years old.

On Aug. 15, NOAA partners at Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR), the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Aquatic Resources and DLNR Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement responded to a community tip about a seal in distress.

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When HMAR arrived at Three Tables, Mana had already died.

A necropsy was ordered to determine the cause of his death.

Officials said they found the presence of a small fishing hook in the seal’s lips when they recovered its body.

NOAA said this kind of superfical hookings are typically not life-threatening, but teams will conduct a thorough necropsy to learn as much as they can about what may have happened to Mana.

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NOAA said it’s the fourth monk seal found dead on Oahu this year.