Nature is weird. Sometimes, it’s also incredibly funny in a way that makes you feel bad for laughing. If you’ve spent any time looking at wildlife photography from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, you’ve probably seen the photo. It’s a young Hawaiian monk seal looking slightly dazed, with a long, greyish eel dangling out of its right nostril like the world's most unfortunate piece of spaghetti.
It looks like a photoshop job. It isn't.
This isn't a one-time freak accident, either. Researchers with the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program have actually documented this "eel-in-nose" phenomenon multiple times over the last decade. It’s a real thing. It’s strange, it’s slightly gross, and honestly, it tells us a lot about the clumsy adolescence of one of the rarest marine mammals on the planet.
Why the Hawaiian Monk Seal Eel Mystery Started
Back in 2016, researchers were stunned. They found a juvenile seal with a black tipped conger eel wedged firmly in its nose. The eel was dead, obviously. But the seal was alive, just... congested. Charles Littnan, who is the lead scientist for NOAA’s monk seal program, basically said at the time that they had never seen anything like it in forty years of monitoring the species. Then, it happened again. And again.
The seals in question are almost always "teenagers." In the seal world, these are the curious, clumsy youngsters who haven't quite figured out how to use their faces yet. Think of them as the toddlers of the ocean.
There are two main theories about how a Hawaiian monk seal eel situation actually occurs. First, you have to look at how these guys eat. Monk seals are benthic foragers. They don't just swim through the open water snapping at fish; they shove their faces into the crevices of coral reefs and under rocks to find octopuses, crustaceans, and eels. They are "suction feeders." When they find something tasty, they create a vacuum with their mouths to slurp the prey out of its hiding spot.
The first theory is that an eel, while being attacked, tries to defend itself or escape. Eels are famously slippery and wiggly. If a seal tries to eat an eel, the eel might try to burrow its way out. Since the seal's nostrils (vibrissae area) are right there and often flared during the hunt, the eel might just... swim up the wrong tube. It’s a desperate survival tactic that ends poorly for everyone involved.
The second theory is more about the seal’s internal plumbing. Just like humans might accidentally sneeze out a grain of rice or have milk come out of their nose when they laugh, seals have a similar "oops" moment. A seal might swallow an eel, but if the seal suddenly gags or needs to cough the eel back up (regurgitation), the eel could get pushed into the nasal cavity instead of out the mouth.
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The Logistics of Nasal Removal
You can't just leave a two-foot-long eel inside a seal’s nose. It’s a massive infection risk. If the eel starts to rot—which it will—the bacteria could easily lead to pneumonia or other fatal respiratory issues for the seal. Since there are only about 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild, every single individual is vital for the survival of the species.
So, the scientists have to step in.
It’s not as easy as it looks. You’re dealing with a wild animal that weighs hundreds of pounds and has a very sharp set of teeth. The researchers usually have to restrain the seal, which is a stressful process for everyone, and then use a pair of long, sturdy forceps.
In the most famous case, the extraction took about 30 seconds. The eel was about 2.5 feet long. The scientists kept pulling, and the eel just kept coming. It was like a magician’s trick with the endless colorful scarves, except way more biological. The seal, for its part, seemed totally fine afterward. It gave a little shake of its head and went back to its business.
Life as a Monk Seal in the Hawaiian Islands
To understand the Hawaiian monk seal eel phenomenon, you have to understand the habitat. These seals are endemic to Hawaii. Most of them live in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a massive, protected area of the Pacific.
These animals are "living fossils." They haven't changed much in millions of years. They don't have the external ear flaps that sea lions have, and they can’t "walk" on their flippers. On land, they galumph. They wiggle their bellies to move around. It's endearing, but they are apex predators in the water.
They face a ridiculous number of threats:
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- Entanglement: Ghost nets and discarded fishing gear are a constant danger.
- Habitat loss: Rising sea levels are washing away the tiny sandy islets where they pup.
- Food competition: Large-scale fishing can sometimes deplete the reef fish they rely on.
- Toxoplasmosis: This is a big one. It’s a parasite found in cat feces. When people let their cats outdoors in Hawaii, the parasite enters the water system and kills the seals.
Adding "eels stuck in their noses" to this list feels like a cruel joke from the universe. But compared to the threat of climate change or tiger sharks, an eel to the face is more of a weird occupational hazard for a curious pup.
The Weirdness of Juvenile Behavior
Why don't the adults get eels in their noses? Experience.
An adult monk seal is a seasoned pro. They know how to handle an eel without letting it get the upper hand—or the upper nostril. Juveniles are still learning the "suction feeding" technique. They are often more frantic and less precise.
Scientists have also joked (half-seriously) that this could be some weird "dare" or a trend among the cool kids of the seal world. You know how humans do stupid things on TikTok? Maybe the young seals are just experimenting with the weirdest things they can find. Probably not, but when you see a seal with a fish tail sticking out of its nose, it’s hard not to anthropomorphize them a little bit.
What This Means for Conservation
While the photos go viral every few years, the Hawaiian monk seal eel incidents are actually a testament to how closely we monitor this species. Because the population is so small, NOAA teams are on the ground (and in the water) almost constantly during the breeding season. They know these seals by name. They track their weight, their health, and, yes, their nasal obstructions.
If we weren't watching them so closely, these seals would likely die from infections. The fact that we can intervene and pull a literal eel out of a seal's snout is a win for conservation, even if the method is a bit "DIY."
Real-World Observations and Data
Let’s look at the numbers. While it feels like it’s happening all the time because the photos are so striking, it's actually quite rare. There have been fewer than 10 documented cases in the last decade.
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It’s also important to note that the eels involved are usually Pucinellia or other small conger species. These aren't the giant moray eels you see in documentaries that can bite a person's hand off. They are thinner and more "worm-like," which makes them the perfect (or worst) size for a seal’s nostril.
Interestingly, most of the incidents have been recorded on French Frigate Shoals and Lisianski Island. Why there? Maybe the eel population is denser there, or maybe the seals in those specific colonies have developed a particularly clumsy hunting style.
Actionable Steps for Ocean Lovers
You’ll probably never see a monk seal with an eel in its nose in person. If you do, you’re likely on a remote atoll where you shouldn't be anyway. But you can actually help the Hawaiian monk seal population from your own home, regardless of where you live.
- Support the Marine Mammal Center: They have a dedicated hospital for monk seals on the Big Island called Ke Kai Ola. They are the ones doing the heavy lifting for rehabilitation.
- Watch Your Trash: Plastic in the ocean doesn't just hurt turtles. Monk seals are curious and will stick their heads into anything, including plastic rings and discarded nets.
- Keep Your Distance: If you’re lucky enough to see a monk seal on a beach in Waikiki or Kauai, stay at least 50 feet away. If it’s a mother and a pup, make it 150 feet. They look like they’re sleeping, but they can move fast if they feel threatened, and disturbing them wastes the energy they need for hunting.
- Report Sightings: If you see a seal that looks injured, entangled, or yes, has something in its nose, call the NOAA hotline immediately (888-256-9840). Don't try to be a hero and pull the eel out yourself. You aren't trained, and you’ll likely just get bitten.
The Hawaiian monk seal eel saga is a reminder that nature doesn't always have to be majestic or terrifying. Sometimes it's just plain awkward. These seals are survivors, hanging on by a thread in a changing ocean, and if they have to deal with the occasional nasal eel along the way, at least they have a team of scientists ready with a giant pair of tweezers.
If you’re interested in following the lives of these seals, the NOAA Fisheries website posts regular updates on the "population counts" and health of the various colonies. It’s a great way to see the actual science behind the viral photos.
Next time you see that photo of the seal with the eel "mustache," remember that it’s not just a meme. It’s a snapshot of a species trying to figure out how to survive in a very strange world, one snort at a time. Be glad your lunch doesn't try to crawl up your nose.
Key Takeaways for Travelers and Locals
- Never Approach: Monk seals are protected by both state and federal law. Harassing them, even if you think you’re "helping" with an eel, can lead to massive fines and jail time.
- Report, Don't Act: Use the NOAA hotline for any marine mammal in distress.
- Spread Awareness: The "eel in nose" photos are a great entry point to talk about the more serious issues these seals face, like sea-level rise and toxoplasmosis.
- Reduce Runoff: If you live in Hawaii, manage your pets responsibly to prevent parasites from reaching the ocean.