A New Zealand fur seal tangled in plastic packing tape was set free to frolic in the waves this week.
The Department of Conservation [DoC] was alerted and went to the aid of an adolescent seal resting near Awatoto in Napier on Thursday.
A team of seven including two DoCofficers, and helpers from Napier City Council and Napier Aquarium helped free the mammal for a happy ending.
Aquarium curator of exhibitions Kerry Hewitt said his staff had experience with large, dangerous animals and were able to throw a net on top of the basking creature and pin it down long enough to cut away tape which had become wrapped round its neck.
"The plastic had been on there for a while but it didn't cause any damage, it was caught thanks to a member of public. It was quick as that, nice and easy - we have seen this sort of thing before."
Once freed it swam off into the sunset, but it won't be the only sighting Hawke's Bay residents have this season - it's common for seals to wash up at this time of year.
"A lot of them come on shore in Hawke's Bay. It's best to leave them alone and let them rest but if you see anything obviously wrong do ring the Department of Conservation. It was a huge wake-up call for people to think carefully about what they were throwing away and where."
Plastic packaging tape could be cut into pieces before being binned to prevent the possibility of marine life getting tangled, while plastic bags and nylon should be disposed of correctly.
"Those kind of things can be very bad for seals and turtles. We have had penguins with nylon around their flippers and it has caused amputations. It can also be harmful to gannets, shags and dolphins," Mr Hewitt said.
