Yes, that's a monk seal with a knife in its mouth (and humans may be to blame)

And Manu'iwa is proof of that.

The curious monk seal was videotaped last Sunday by a DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) Officer who noticed the pup playing and diving with a bright orange object in its mouth.

When Manu'iwa came to the surface, the DOCARE officer noticed the object was a knife the seal was holding by its handle.

"There was real concern that the seal pup might swallow the knife," the DOCARE officer said in a statement. "It's a reminder to all of us to dispose of our trash properly and not to leave it on Hawai'i beaches or in the ocean."

In time the seal dropped the knife in the rocks where the DOCARE officer later retrieved it.

Manu'iwa was born on Hawai'i Island and had recently weaned from its mother. DOCARE and staff from Ke Kai Ola, a hospital operated by The Marine Mammal Center at Kailua-Kona, were monitoring the pup's health when they made the eye-opening discovery.

According to animal experts, limited interactions with humans is crucial to a young seal's survival. That's because the seals need to learn to be wild, especially after they've weaned.

If you spot a monk seal, NOAA's Office of National Marine Fisheries asks you to report it to your island's Marine Mammal Response Coordinator:

Oahu: 808-220-7802

Kauai: 808-651-7668

Molokai: 808-553-5555

Maui / Lanai: 808-292-2372

Hawaii Island – East: 808-756-5961

Hawaii Island – West: 808-987-0765