HONOLULU -- A group of protestors from Molokai demonstrated in front of the Waikiki Aquarium on Wednesday morning against the decision to pull a monk seal out of the wild.

The seal, KP2, was rescued just days after its birth in May 2008. It was raised in captivity on Oahu by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Mammal Response team and then flown to the island of Molokai, where it was released.

The seal became friendly with swimmers and beachgoers, officials said. The problem is that as he gets older, KP2 has begun to play like older monk seals, meaning it could bite and hold swimmers under water, NOAA officials said.

Scientists have diagnosed KP2 with cataracts. They said he probably would not survive much longer in the wild and took him back into captivity.

The group of Molokai residents said NOAA lied to them and stole their seal.

"As we treat monk seals, so we treat Hawaiians," Molokai activist Walter Ritte said

The group members said NOAA intends to put him in tiger shark infested waters off Niihau.

NOAA plans to address the concerns in a news conference later in the afternoon.