3/31/2010 Monk Moment

Hey Blog Lady,

Guess who we found today hanging out on Molokai??? yep, MOJO...if you read the blog yesterday you know that he was doing his seal thing on Rabbit Island under the keen eye of da whisperer and today he's here on Molokai. I find it just amazing how these boyz travel. The other photo is of RA34--the look of innocence is priceless.

Till next time,

Monk

Dear Monk!

Thanks for the update....It is soooo cool to know that Mojo is a traveling man. Wouldn't it be great if we attached a camera to him and a speedometer... how fast does he go? does he stop off and rest? what does he see on his way over? did he have a hot date (wink wink)?  I want to thank you Monk for your sharp eye and keeping us all informed. Your da bestest! xoxo da blog lady.

Mojo the traveling man

RA34 looking very cute

3/31/2010 DB Dailies

The wind made it a challenging day at Makai Pier. It started out howling, and just got stronger. The Rabbit Island cast couldn't have cared less. Duke spent the day at 1BS, and RIP hauled out 100 ft right of 3BS. That was da' day !

Team Billand reported R018 at Nimitz Beach cottages, at 0740, and Kermit fronting cottage 1707 at White Plains at 0838. At 1644 the Billands reported Rocky fronting 1813 at Nimitz Beach.

I received mail from Peggy Mihelich, a young woman that was here working on her Master Thesis, in Journalism, at Columbia Universite, on Hawaiian Monk Seals. Though the site she sent me is a work in progess, I think you will enjoy it. Just click on everything. There is alot of information there, stills and video.

http://www.themonksealproject.com/?p=4
Thanks for the link DB ... very very cool... can't wait to read it. And thankyou Peggy for taking the time with our beloved seals.

RIP

R018

Rocky

Profile - KC RK28

KC (RK28) was matched to an animal first seen on Kauai in 2003-04. She has been on Oahu since 2005. She is an untagged animal so markers are the means of identification. She has L & R Cookie Cutter scars at midbody, a pit scar forward of the left fore flipper, and a scar on her posterior left side. She also has a fishing line scar at the left corner of her mouth.

3/30/2010 KC and 5AY

Aloha Good People:

I had a great afternoon hanging out with these two lovely ladies, although I spent most of the time with Honey Girl. They are both looking healthy and quite round.... hmmm wonder if they're going to repeat their 2008 pattern and be a couple of miles apart and deliver their pups within a day of each other.... Thats going to make for a fun summer!!! Okay until tomorrow.... ~donna~

5AY Honey Girl

Here's KC

3/30/2010 DB Dailies

The SE quadrant was certified Monk Seal free on my first pass, however when I got back to Makai Pier at 0940, after a squall or two...or three... I found RIP, 80 ft left of 1BS, and Duke , 20 ft left of 1BS.

Mojo hauled out to RP's location at 1009, and with a few barks from RIP got the hint and Mojo galumphed over to harrass Duke. He got absolutely no response from Duke at all , and after a few minutes Mojo did the slow roll down to the water, and departed. He hauled out to Duke again at 1053 and once again Duke gave him nothing, so it was another roll into the water, and another haul out to RIP. This time around RIP was definitely not in the mood, and went off an Mojo big time. It was teeth, hair and eyeballs there for several seconds. Mojo got the heck out of there and reentered the water.

RIP and Duke would remain at the left end together for the rest of the day. At 1148, on a pan I found Mojo hauled out to the rubble beach at the far right end of the beach.

David Schofield called at 0903 to report that both KC and R5AY were at Kualoa Pt, along side the road. They were being tended to but volunteers. (yep I was one of them, Diane Gabriel and Tony too!)

Team Billand reported Kermit at WP at 1119 . Barbara initially found him at the last cottage at White Plains, but he would later relocate to another spot on the beach fronting cottage #1706.

Barbara called again at 1443 to say that she had just found Irma at Tracks. Irma had last been seen at Diamond Head on 3-27-10.

Team Billand next responded to a call from Shawn about an animal near Pokai Bay. At 1538 the confirmed that it was 2AW at the Army Rec. Beach. Folks staying there had gone to City Mill and bought rope and cones to cordon him off, and Xeroxed signs to put around the perimeter. Isn't it wonderful to hear something like that instead of the steady, seemingly neverending tales of idiots out there on the beaches ? Ya' Done Good folks !!!

RIP, Mojo and Duke

3/30/2010

Kermit and a very close fisherman and net

Irma

2AW

How cool is this?

Updated Profiles on Oahu Seals

Aloha Good People!
We're providing some updated profile information on our regular Oahu residents.... (be nice someday to do this statewide)....  Anyway.... Since we have a Seal Count coming up very soon, this is a good time to get familar with our cast of characters.

Please feel free to respond with any additional information or suggestions that you might find helpful.
~donna~

p.s. I will post a couple each night so make sure you keep checking back

Profile - Irma - untagged

Irma is an untagged, adult female of unknown age, first seen on Oahu in 2001. Since she is untagged , her markers and an "N3" bleach mark, posterior left and right sides are the means of identification. She has a small pit scar at the back side of the right fore flipper, a vertical scar on the right side of her neck, and a horizontal scar on the right side of her neck.

Profile - Kermit 4DG/4DH

Kermit is an adult male of unknown age, first seen on Oahu in 2003. He has red tags on his hind flippers, 4DG/4DH. His tags and markers and at present a transmitter on his shoulder hump, are the means of identification . His major markers are a small natural bleach left side posterior, and healed Cookie Cutter scars, one on his dorsal posterior slightly to the left side, a mid body ventral , left side , and a posterior ventral just above the hind flipper.

3/29/2010 DB Dailies

At 0700, from Makai Pier, I found what would prove to be Kolohe back near the cliff, 30 ft left of 1BS on Rabbit Island. Immediately in front of him, nestled in the Morning Glory was Duke.

A mid morning appointment, plus nurmerous rain squalls, didn't allow me another look at Rabbit Island until 1200. At that time I found the Buster had joined the youngsters. All were grouped near the water line in full snooze mode at 1BS. The rising tide moved them all up aroiund 1400, but that was the extent of the RI action today.

Team Billand reported Kermit at White Plains, in the cottage area, at 1033. This marks the first time he has returned to White Plains since he got his new jewelry (28 days ago). I was hoping that he would give WP a wide birth, after his transmitter experience, and he still hasn't hauled out to the main beach where it all went down, but being at the cottages would seem to indicate that he has a short memory. We shall see.

 

Kermit

The silly iKermit

3/28/2010 DB Dailies

It was a busy little Rabbit Island day, with an interesting cast. Let me digress for a moment. On 3-24-10 I had a couple of swimmers at Sandy Beach which I theorized where Mojo and a probable Mikala. Since that day I've been awaiting proof. Today, that proof occurred. Circumstantial though it may be, Mojo and Mikala finally made it to Rabbit Island. I know NOAA won't go for it, but we here at the Bald Naturalist's Society (BNS) consider it proof.

My first look at Rabbit Island at 0700 was a bust, however, when I got back to Makai Pier at 0930 I found Mojo and Duke at the far left end of the beach . At 1107 Kolohe hauled out 20 ft left of 1BS, and then Buster arrived at 60 ft left of 1BS at 1130.

Mojo was in classic "cruiser mode" today, entering the water several times only to haul out with every other cast member, multiple times. He and Buster had a few spats, but it was never anything more than nuisance interactions. Both Buster and Mojo would interact with all the youngsters. By 1240 all four of the boys would be at the far left end of the beach, and at 1247 here came Mikala hauling out 80 ft left of 1BS, and galumphing over to join the rest of the gang. This was the very first time in my career that I actually had a pile of pinnipeds all lying on one another. I kept imagining Pier 39 in San Francisco. At 1300, with Mojo in the lead, all would enter the water together and play and frolic in the shallows at the left end of the beach. After a short swim/play session the individuals began hauling out again, beginning with Mikala at 1BS at 1307, and then Kolohe, 70 ft left of 1BS at 1308, followed by Duke, 80 ft left of 1BS, and then Buster 50 ft left of 2BS at 1114. Mojo would haul out to join Buster at 1320. All remained in those locations for the rest of the day.

Team Billand called at 0830 with the report of Kermit at Kermit' Reef on the west side of Nimitz jetty, and R018 fronting #1777 at Nimitz Beach. Both would be gone by their mid afternoon checks.

Buster and Mojo

Buster, Kolohe and Mojo

3/28/2010 Rabbit Island Gang

Buster and Kolohe

Duke, Kolohe, Buster and Mojo

Duke, Kolohe, Buster, Mojo and Mikala

3/28/2010

Kermit

R018