Irma Departs Waikiki Sunday Evening

Irma has left the Beach. Thank God. Aquarium personnel showed up and informed me that there was a seal on the beach and HPD had put crime scene tape around and cordoned off (man they did a terrific SPZ). I was doing an all nighter with KP2 and Diane Gabriel showed up for duty at 4:00AM. Not knowing who it might be she rushed off to make an ID. After a call to Jen (I woke her up twice this AM before 7:00AM) Diane called me back to say that DB could not get in because of the Susan G Komen Race for Breast Cancer. THEN Karen Rother showed up to tell me "there's a seal on the beach" but I gotta finish the race. About that time I'm outside the Aquarium fence waiting for Diane to come back so I can tell her I've got signs in my car there at the Aquarium. Lo and behold here comes Barb B. doing a foot walk race right along with the cancer survivors. Well Barb grabs the signs I had and hoofed it back over to SPZ Irma. She and Diane proceeded to do "the thing" with keeping her safe and all was well. By that time Jen had most everyone lined up for Irma duty, including Karen Rother after she finished the race. Except at first it was thought that Irma was at WP. Another missed identity, easy to do in the dark. Also, then the call came that there was Kermit at WP, a seal at Sunset, etc. Where were all these critters yesterday???? Thanks to everyone we had a genuine response team response almost Island wide in spite of all the other events going on.

So back to KP2. Would not eat. I left eventually. Jen called and woke me up later in the day (turn about I deserved). She and Rafe were at the Aquarium AND with Irma. Eventually it would become a family affair and my Mother Becky would go down and work with Blu a new volunteer that Rafe trained. Everyone eventually rendezvoused back at Sunset on the Beach (Irma always shows up for the big events as we all know) in Waikiki. I arrived back over from the Aquarium to figure out what to do with a seal on the beach at dark with who knows how many people milling around and a concert going on. I guess thanks to some people who would not quit flash photographing her, IRMA LEFT THE BEACH at 6:40PM. That girl sure knows where and how to party.

Come to find out Kermit left White Plains about 5:30PM. Hopefully their Sunday night date will be as uneventful as I hope mine is. Two days of incredible volunteer efforts. Isn't it amazing what these animals can inspire in all of us.


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Mahalo,
Dana

P.S. It was brought to my attention that on Sunday the 18th (day after seal count) there were 21 volunteers responding to seals on OAHU. This is a mile stone that should be noted... this is a reflection of a great volunteer coordinator and dedicated people doing what they do everyday... I say thank you to all of you.... me... I was rocking out at the Aerosmith concert ~donna~