KP2 Volunteers Gather To Clear Pen

Thank you volunteers! Barb Billand sent me these wonderful photos from Thursday when KP2 pen was dismantled. There is no denying our volunteers have HEART and COMMITMENT.

From left to right: Jennifer, Rafe, Dana, David, Karen, David, Barbara, & Robert. Note: Official word is KP2 is doing great... he is doing everything a young seal should be doing, and has NO problem exploring the deep blue! ~donna~

Good Morning Blog Lady,
I hope this e finds you in good health. Well, Yesterday was the Breaking up of KP2's Pen. We had Seven volunteers who worked as a TEAM. Each person had a job and the whole break down process took about an hour.

The Muldanados were there, Jen and Rafe, pulling the palms off the fence. Rob and I arrived next, cutting the zip ties off along with Karen Rotner. Dana Jones and Bob Butterworth arrived also to continue the zip tie bregade. Next Mr. Schofield arrived with the NOAA truck. After all the ties were off, we each worked to get the fencing out, pulled that a shore, rolled it up. Next was the pen itself which was trickier as it was heavy. We got all the poles out after working them back and forth to make it come out of the coral and sand.

The whole time there in KP2's Pen, I couldnt help but think of the little critter dashing across his pen while on our watches. I thought of him bull dozing his rock garden to find crabs and whatever else he found out there. As I was at his rock garden, I realized how shallow the water level was. Just up to my ankles. But, some how the little squirt just adapted to his human made home all those months and survived. Thats what I have learned, monk seals can adapt to what ever comes their way. And I also realized KP2 never seemed scared out in his human made environment. He just went about his chores, plopping about, hunting for crabs, fish that just hung out beyond his pen perimeter, teasing the poor kid. We would often watch him, with his flippers both on the fence, wanting to go hunt beyond his enclosure.

As we took down the critter fence, we all realized how deep that section was, and if only we had made the pen that far out for him, he would have loved it..he could have explored more with all the reef and animals in that area. But...as I have said, KP2 accepted his home as is. I do remember him grumbling alot when the water level was so low, he would vocalize more. I remembered how cute he looked when he threw his temper tantrums if he didn't get his scheduled meal. KP2 would often use both his flippers to quickly slap the surface of the water to protest. That was so cute. I loved how he ate his octopus with a vengence! How he would thrash his prey like a dog like a rope toy. And the way he would eat a piece of leg so many inches long, one at a time...until he was tired and would fall a sleep with the food still in his mouth. He was a sweetheart.

I thought of all the Wonderful Volunteers who gave up so much of their time to this one little seal pup called KP2. Some taking double shifts, some in horrible rain showers and floods. I thought of the Marine Mammal Teams that stayed at the base day in day out for weeks and one person, AUBREY ST.MARIE, who stayed the longest and did a great job. Mizusu who had a nice touch with KP2 was amazing how she handled KP2. Gentle. He loved her.
Susan Canja was the next Marine Mammal Specialist who cared for KP2. She was amazing herself and interesting to talk to. She was the one person who gave me a hug the next day after finding our Seal Pup...Hoku, dead at Waimanalo. I appreciated her sympathy, I really did and I had to just move on. She was the person who told me not to give up, inspite of the tragedy of HOKU. I thank her. Then our buddie, Marie Destifanes arrived and boy she was special herself. She had this nice touch with KP2. She had Knowledge, compassion, and she was the one person to find KP2 with the transmitter in his mouth. She got it away from him immediately, by herself. She never hesitated to do anything. KP2 looked up to her too. We learned alot from Marie and we thank her. Next came Aubrey St. Marie. A young beautiful girl of only 26 years. Aubrey stayed the longest, giving up her thanksgiving with her family which I thought was super of her. She also showed us all her photos of the seals she worked with at the Marine Mammal Center. She was brave to come al the way to Hawaii alone and just did what she had to do. No worries. She would go into KP2's pen with the boards to remove all kinds of things from the pen, and KP2 just went about what ever he was doing. She was smooth. In Aubrey's short spare time, she'd explore Oahu, all by herself and enjoying the beauty of Hawaii. She loved going snorkling at the base too and she'd come back to us telling all what she encountered. This girl is very independent and a real sweetheart. Once she and I found this octopus in the rocks while KP2 was sleeping, I mean deep sleep. Aubrey had her little diving fin bag, her sun glasses with her and I brought a make shift spear Robert put together for us. Aubrey poked around in the hole we thought the octopus was in. THat hole was so tiny, and after the probing, this huge octopus came out of that hole upside down and both Aubrey and I were shocked and we were trying so hard to get it into the bag. That creature slowly put his tenticles up our arms and we were squirming around, in soft sounds of "YIKES!!!!" But Aubrey was so persistent and we both got it in the bag some how. That was so fun!!!! We scored an octopus for KP2. Aubrey called the DR. Levine for permission to feed KP2 this wonderful octopus, but, KP2 was comotosed at the City Mill Tent. Aubrey had to save the critter for KP2 till the next morning. And KP2 ate the whole thing in a short period.

Next came Karen Bryan to sit with KP2. She was going to school, studying, taking care of her boys, watching every movement of KP2 on her shifts. She would remove the debris that came into KP2's pen, including boards, twigs, glass, coconuts etc. I don't know how she pulled off this whole thing all by herself, but she did. So, all this stuff was going through my brains as we took down KP2's pen. It has been quite a journey, it has been a true adventure for all of us. We all done good. And now, the end has come for us....but the beginning of KP2's new home and life out at sea has arrived. And I hear reports that he is doing well and foraging as he should be. Farewell KP2. You have given us information, you gave us excitement and much JOY watching you grow up. Swim Free our little friend. Please come back to visit us...we'll be waiting.