Federal officials recently announced the release of a 2-year-old Hawaiian monk seal named Ka‘ale back to the wild after removing a large fishing hook from his tongue on Oahu.

A young Hawaiian monk seal that accidentally swallowed fishing gear is now in recovery at Ke Kai Ola, The Marine Mammal Center’s hospital in Kailua-Kona specializing in the endangered pinnipeds.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Louie DeNolfo is captivated by the simple shape of a Hawaiian fish hook. “Their shape is related to what they were used for — to fish,” he said. DeNolfo is a bone ...

Sophie Whoriskey / The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA Permit 24359. The endangered Hawaiian monk seal RS10 is in recovery following the removal of an ingested fishing hook at The Marine Mammal Center ...