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An eel lodged in a Hawaiian monk seal’s nose sounds like a bizarre accident, and it is genuinely documented. NOAA Fisheries reported a juvenile with a spotted eel in its nose at French Frigate Shoals in summer 2018, after researchers had seen the phenomenon only three or four times in the preceding few years. They still do not know why it happens. The unusual observation makes sense only in the context of a seal that probes reef holes, rocks and sand for hidden prey.
That oddity is one small detail in the natural history of an endangered seal found only in Hawaiʻi. These mostly solitary hunters forage along the seafloor, haul out on beaches to rest and raise pups, and face different dangers in the main Hawaiian Islands than in Papahānaumokuākea. Here are the facts that explain the species, its behavior and how people should respond when they encounter one.
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1. Hawaiian monk seals live only in the Hawaiian archipelago
NOAA Fisheries identifies the Hawaiian monk seal as endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago. Its range extends from the populated main Hawaiian Islands north-west through the remote islands and atolls of Papahānaumokuākea. Individuals have occasionally been reported at Johnston Atoll, but those sightings are rare and do not change the species’ Hawaiian center of distribution.
“Endemic” means the species naturally occurs in this region and nowhere else as a regular population. A seal seen on a beach in Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, or another main island is therefore part of the same highly localized species found across the north-western Hawaiian islands, not a widespread seal that happens to visit Hawaiʻi.
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2. About 1,600 seals remain, and the population is recovering slowly
NOAA’s current species overview, accessed in 2026, estimates roughly 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals. The estimate is not an exact, continuously updated head count:
| Region | Estimated seals | What the estimate means |
|---|---|---|
| Papahānaumokuākea | Nearly 1,200 | The majority of the species lives in the remote north-western Hawaiian Islands. |
| Main Hawaiian Islands | About 400 | A smaller but important population living closer to people and infrastructure. |
| Total | Around 1,600 | NOAA estimate, not a precise live count. |
NOAA says the population began increasing gradually in 2013, but it remains only about one-third of its historical size. The species is listed as endangered. A gradual increase is encouraging, yet the small total leaves the population vulnerable to disease, poor food years, entanglement and the loss of the low-lying beaches it needs.
3. Eels are on the menu, but they are far from the whole menu
Hawaiian monk seals are “generalist” feeders, in NOAA’s wording. They eat whichever suitable prey is available rather than relying on one specialized food. Documented prey includes many species of fish, squid, octopuses, eels and crustaceans.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThis flexible diet helps a seal cope with changing conditions. An individual may switch among reef fish, an octopus under a ledge, a crustacean in sediment or an eel in a crevice. Diet also varies by location and by what prey can be found at a given time. Seeing an eel in a seal’s nose does not mean eels are the species’ preferred food; it shows that eels are one of many things a seal may investigate or capture.
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4. The eel-in-the-nose incidents are real, but the cause is unknown
In its December 2018 account, NOAA described a juvenile seal found with a spotted eel protruding from its nose at French Frigate Shoals during the summer. Researchers said they had observed a similar situation three or four times in the preceding few years. NOAA cautioned: “We don’t know if this is just some strange statistical anomaly or if we will see more eels in seals in the future.” That statement applies to the observations available at the time; it is not a current cumulative total.
The seals’ feeding technique offers a plausible context, not a proven explanation. NOAA reports that monk seals probe coral crevices, rocks and sand for prey that is hidden. An eel could potentially be encountered during that probing, but scientists have not established whether the eel enters while a seal is hunting, escaping prey, or through some other circumstance. Claims that the behavior is caused by young seals practicing, social learning or a deliberate feeding strategy go beyond what NOAA has documented.
An eel in a nostril can look alarming, but people should never approach a seal to investigate or try to remove anything. A trained response team, not a beachgoer, must assess an animal that appears injured or obstructed.
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5. Most foraging happens at or near the ocean floor
Diet studies summarized by NOAA indicate that Hawaiian monk seals forage at or near the seafloor. They favor prey that hides in sand or beneath rocks, which explains the species’ probing behavior and its ability to exploit many kinds of bottom habitat. A seal may search around reef structure, sift through sediment or pull prey from a crevice before returning to the surface.
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The 2024 NOAA brochure Natural History and Conservation of the Hawaiian Monk Seal notes that these seals can hunt during the day or night. Their schedule is therefore not limited to clear, daylight conditions; the availability of an easy-to-catch meal matters more than a fixed hour.
6. A 20-minute dive is a maximum, not a normal foraging trip
NOAA’s overview gives both the species’ impressive limits and its usual behavior. Hawaiian monk seals can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes and dive more than 1,800 feet. Those are maximum capabilities, not what a seal does on every hunt. For ordinary foraging, NOAA says dives usually average about six minutes and less than 200 feet.
| Measure | NOAA description | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Breath-hold | Up to 20 minutes | An upper limit recorded for the species, not a typical dive duration. |
| Depth | More than 1,800 feet | A maximum capability; most foraging is much shallower. |
| Usual foraging dive | About six minutes and less than 200 feet | The better guide to routine hunting behavior. |
Keeping the qualifiers attached to these figures matters. Saying simply that a monk seal “dives for 20 minutes to 1,800 feet” would make an exceptional limit sound like its everyday routine.
7. They are mostly solitary rather than colony-dwelling
Unlike sea lions, Hawaiian monk seals do not live in large, organized colonies. Several may haul out in the same general area, but NOAA says they usually rest near one another without much physical contact. This loose gathering is not evidence of the tightly packed social structure seen in some other pinnipeds.
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Seals sleep on beaches and sometimes in underwater caves. A resting animal may appear motionless for a long time, which is normal. People should not assume that a seal lying alone is abandoned or in distress unless there are clear signs of injury and local responders advise action.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. Land is essential for resting, molting and raising young
Hawaiian monk seals divide their lives between ocean and shore. They haul out to rest, replace their coat during the annual molt, give birth and nurse. Females generally prefer sandy, protected beaches with shallow water for pupping, conditions that give a mother and newborn a relatively secure place to remain ashore.
Because these beaches are also used by people, a seal on land can be exposed to noise, crowds, dogs and attempts to get a closer photograph. The beach is not merely a convenient place for a seal to warm up; it is part of the animal’s life cycle. Repeatedly forcing a seal back into the water can cost it essential rest or interrupt nursing.
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Mother-pup pairs can remain on the beach while nursing for up to seven weeks. During this period the pup depends on its mother’s milk and protection, while the mother may be defensive. NOAA warns that disturbance and dog attacks can threaten the pair, and a protective mother can create a safety risk for people who get too close.
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If you see a pup, assume the mother is nearby even when she is not immediately visible in the surf. Do not touch, feed, call to or attempt to move either animal. Keep children and pets away, obey any rope or sign line, and follow instructions from local wildlife officials. If the seal appears entangled, seriously injured or separated in a way that concerns you, contact the appropriate local wildlife authority rather than intervening yourself.
10. The biggest threats depend on where a seal lives
There is no single threat profile for every Hawaiian monk seal. NOAA distinguishes the pressures facing seals in the main Hawaiian Islands from those in Papahānaumokuākea:
| Region | Major concerns identified by NOAA | Why the context matters |
|---|---|---|
| Main Hawaiian Islands | Fisheries interactions, other human impacts and disease, including toxoplasmosis. | Seals live close to roads, homes, pets, fishing activity and people. |
| Papahānaumokuākea | Food limitation among young seals, entanglement, shark predation and loss of low-lying beach habitat. | The remote environment reduces some human contact but leaves seals exposed to limited prey, marine debris and climate-related habitat loss. |
These regional differences explain why conservation work cannot rely on one solution. Reducing risky interactions with fishing gear and domestic sources of disease is especially important around the main islands, while protecting remote pupping and resting habitat and addressing entanglement are central farther north.
What to do when you encounter a Hawaiian monk seal
Give every hauled-out seal space, with extra caution around a nursing pair. Keep dogs leashed and away, never feed the animal, and do not block its route between beach and water. Follow all posted local instructions, which may change according to the seal’s condition and the site.
- Observe quietly from outside posted boundaries.
- Do not touch, chase, call to or splash the seal.
- Keep children and pets back.
- Do not attempt to remove an eel, fishing line or other object.
- Report a suspected injury or entanglement to local wildlife authorities and wait for trained responders.
These simple actions protect the seal’s need to rest and nurse while reducing the chance of a defensive encounter. They also help conservation staff distinguish a normal resting seal from an animal that genuinely needs assistance.
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