Workers at the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program in Honolulu recently posted a photo on social media that shows a seal with an eel stuck in its nose. The puzzling incident actually happens often, though scientists aren’t sure why. Some think the eels launch themselves at seals when they feel threatened and sometimes get lodged in the mammals’ nostrils. Another theory is that seals swallow eels whole, then the fish try to wriggle out any way they can. Regardless, the situation is nothing to sneeze at. Hawaiian monk seals are endangered. Luckily for the seals, wildlife experts can dislodge the eels quickly with little pain.