Final aloha to beloved 19-year-old monk seal
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Published: Jun. 22, 2022 at 8:47 PM HST|Updated: Jun. 22, 2022 at 8:53 PM HST
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The NOAA announced Wednesday a 19-year-old monk seal has died.
The monk seal — better known as ‘Benny’ — was found on Mokuleia beach last week, officials said.
Benny was born on Kauai in 2002. He survived two life saving surgeries to remove fishing hooks.
The NOAA said Benny helped fisheries and conservation partners learn a lot about the endangered Hawaiian monk seal population.
He was a regular on Oahu beaches from Honolulu to North Shore.
They are also awaiting tissue samples to determine an exact cause of death.
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