DB Post Sunday 8/23/09

My first finds of the day, at 0656, were Buster and Kolohe at the left end of the beach on Rabbit Island. They would move down and enter the water together at 0931. I would not see either animal again today.

At 0900 I found the weaners, Mikala and Duke, playing together in their favorite tide pool at the right end of the beach. They would spend the bulk of the day together, either in the tide pool or playing in the shallows. Duke would haul out at 1150, 60 ft right of 3BS, and Mikala would haul out to the beach at 1212, 50 ft further to the right of Duke.

At 1320 , RIP hauled out 20 ft right of 3BS, and began galumphing to the right toward the weaners. He came to a halt mid way between them and could not seem to make up his mind who to haul out to. In the end he chose Mikala. There was light nuzzling and interaction, but Mikala gave him very little interest, and RIP tired of the game, moving back down toward the water line. At about that time Duke began galumphing toward RIP, doing the bulk of the traveling, though RIP moved to him over the last 15 ft or so. They interacted a bit, and then both entered the water together at 1414. Due to the rough conditions I got only brief glimpses of the play. It lasted until until 1417 when Duke hauled out, alone, to join Mikala. They would remain together the rest of the day.

At 1424 RIP would haul out alone at the far left end of the beach, where he spent the rest of the day.

There was late breaking news after I sent off the dailies yesterday. Tracy called around 1800 to report that she was looking at Right Spot, on the beach to the Kahuku side of the Turtle Bay Hotel. I was hopeful that Right Spot's 3 week or so stay in the Sandy Beach area was a prelude to a trip to Molokai, but with her haul out to MCBH the other day, and now being seen at her "home" area, I have concerns as to whether she will go to Molokai this year. We shall see.