The researchers said in a comment that they restrain the seals and give a “slow steady pull” to get the eel out, all in about 30 seconds. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of two mammals endemic to the Hawaiian islands: the other is the Hawaiian hoary bat, which is sadly also endangered.They may be the oldest of all true seals, as they have been present in Hawaii for millions of years. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program (HMSRP) shared a photograph of a monk seal with one of the slippery creatures dangling out of its nose this week, in just the latest such incident to strike the rare mammals in recent times. “We have now found juvenile seals with eels stuck in their noses on multiple occasions,” HMSRP wrote. 'Make better choices': Endangered Hawaiian monk seals keep getting eels stuck up their noses and scientists want them to stop A juvenile Hawaiian monk seal found with a spotted eel … A picture of a monk seal with an eel up its nose was shared this week by a Hawaii-based […] Endangered Hawaiian monk seals getting eels stuck up their noses Sometimes you think you're having a bad day, and then you see the above photo of an endangered monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) with an eel stuck in its nose, and you realize you're doing pretty OK.The photo was taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and according to NOAA's Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, this happens from time to time. A juvenile Hawaiian monk seal was found with a spotted eel in its nose at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands this past summer. Now the beleaguered species is facing an unexpected new challenge – eels getting stuck up their noses. No One 'Nose' Why Seals Seem To Be Snorting Eels - Honolulu, HI - One scientist thinks juvenile Hawaiian monk seals, like their human counterparts, just seem to … A juvenile Hawaiian monk seal was found with a spotted eel in its nose at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands this past summer. It is illegal to kill, capture or harass a Hawaiian monk seal. The Hawaiian monk seal was officially designated as an endangered species on November 23, 1976, and is now protected by the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. ‘Make better choices’: Endangered Hawaiian monk seals keep getting eels stuck up their noses and scientists want them to stop The Hawaiian monk seal has become endangered due to a range of threats, from fishing net entanglements to disease.