Despite lots of looking, awheel, and afoot I was batting a big ZERO all day, until I went back to Spitting Cave for my second check of the day, at 1348. There I found Kolohe doing 7 minute dives. He had not been there on my morning check. Since I was on a roll , and in the area, I decided to check the Kokee Flats, more inside Maunalua Bay from SC, since I thought Irma might be in the area after yesterday's Diamond Head haul out. Just as though I actually had a clue, therrrrre was Irma, snoozing comfortably at "Irma's Grotto" at the end of the Kokee Flats. I had not check this location in the morning because it was a 2.2 high tide and it would have been under water.
I returned to Makai Pier from 1500 to 1600 but Rabbit Island remained bare.
Team Billand checked in at 0936 with the report of RO28 at Maili Point. They called again at 1007 to report Kermit fronting #1708, at White Plains. Team Billand responded to a Dera call about an animal at Iroquois Point at 1306. At 1342 they confirmed Rocky at IRQ.
Dera called at 1320 to advise that Doniel had reported R5AY on the beach across from her house at Kualoa Point. Dera also advised of an U/U , red tagged animal in Mokuleia, near Dillingham. Dana called at 1422 to advise that the responding volunteer had found nobody,and that the animal may have been run off by house riders. Dera had said that the caller was taking photos, so there may be hope for an ID yet. I have nothing as of this writing.
Tracy forwarded photos from Mimi Olry on Kauai, of an U/M they had over there. He may be unknown over there but his Oahu fans will recognize the gnarly , little dude as our ol' pal Yoda (R302...Perm. ID #). He had last been seen on Oahu , at Shark's Cove on 2-27-10. He seems to have recently molted which would be consistent with last year's molt.
Yoda - R302
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4 comments:
I was wondering if anyone had information to share about the article regarding aged seal in today's edition of the Kauai Garden Island News. The volunteer had reported his concerns the seal was non responsive to humans and had been found a couple weeks back laying along side a road. The seal looks emaciated but I am no expert. I wish all the best to our friend from the sea.
Hi, I am no expert, just a volunteer, who had the honor of meeting Yoda back in 2007 at Campbell Industrial Park while he was molting. Before that we met Yoda at Maili Beach Park. And then, he also was so thin and looked like he was going to die. My husband and I watched Yoda grow into this chubby, healthy seal. It was an amazing change. I am hoping, that since molting again, he will change into a fat, healthy seal, like before. We hadnt seen Yoda for so long. We used to find him at Kaena Pt. When ever we did find him, it took us long to ID the old guy, back then he didnt have very many markers. Seeing his photo now, thrills us, even tho, he looks very thin. I dont think we know how old he really is, nor do we know where he came from, he just showed up one day. When we did find him...he was always very skiddish about people, he had this amazing turning ability, almost like an owls radius turn. He was the only seal I remembered who did that turn. We thought he was an old seal, a very wise seal, to come from who knows where and survive some how. I appreciate your concerns for YODA. Hoping he is ok and wishing he returns for a visit on Oahu like before. We'll be looking out for him. Thanks Wayne KS Kaululaau and to the volunteers who found him!!!!!
Yoda's history, on Oahu begins on 11-28-07 when I responded to a call at Iroquois Point. There I found this little, emaciated creature, with a ratty ol' coat, looking like he would not survive the next 5 minutes, let alone the day. There was no history on him prior to that day. Since he was untagged, he was assigned a Temp. ID of 406, and later a Perm.of R302. Barbara Billand can be credited with naming him Yoda, and I wholeheartedly agreed. He did look alot like the Yoda of Star Wars fame. Since then he has been seen mostly from Ka'ena Point thru the West and SW sides, but he did 3 visits to Diamond Head in 08, and 1 in 09. He has also been documented on the North Shore, at Haleiwa, Kawela Bay and Shark's Cove. He even spent a day at MCBH in 09. The last sighting prior to this find on Kauai was on 2-27-10 at Shark's Cove.The ol' boy has amazing recuperative powers. He has obviously just completed a molt, and in no time at all he'll be this fat dude that bares no resemblance at all to these most recent shots. DB
Thanks for sharing some wonderful insights about our friend from the sea.
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