MonkSealMania.blogspot.com: May 2019

Friday, May 31, 2019

May 31, 2019 Monk Seal Dailies

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand and Lesley. Lesley's very busy seal day is part two of the dailies.

Team Billand on the other hand day moved at a snail's pace. I suppose all the critters decided to go see Lesley today.

Team Billand checked the outfall early this morning and they spotted a critter foraging off shore doing four minute dives. They could not get an ID or any markers and was reported as an U/U.
Team Billand had to leave to run an errand and when they returned there were no seals.

At 11:30 they spotted a seal at a west side location on high rocks. It looked like it was ready to leave, so they hurried over but the seal entered the water. BUT thankfully for that beautiful applied bleach, they were able to ID RN14. They also saw his natural bleach on his right side as he rolled over.

Team Billand's only other find today came at 3:30 pm when they were passing Makaha and noticed a fat seal on shore. They pulled over and it was Da Benny RE74. All three tags are showing.
Benny is looking good, and pretty fat. If he were a she, would probably be waiting for birth announcement LOL.

RN14 Kalani

Benny RE74

May 31, 2019 (part 2) Lesley's Ka'ena Update

Yesterday I did the usual dawn & sunset patrol - in the morning RN58 "Luana" & PO2 "Kalua" D23 were just making their way to their favorite tide pools and from there for a swim. In the evening They were hauling out all the way up the beach to the Naupaka line. Further down the beach RO40 "Ka'ena" was hauled out sleeping peacefully.

This morning at dawn it took me 30 mnts to find RN58 "Luana" & PO2 "Kaula" D24 they were swimming and pups bark helped me spot them coming in. I called them in around 6:15am.

A while later RO40 "Ka'ena" was seen swimming by and hauling out down the beach, then a second seal hauled out. It was RW02 "PVKauai"

I had to go to a meeting and before I stopped by to visit R5AY & PO3 (M) D20 further down the beach there was another seal that I IDed for the volunteers RG40 "Holokai"

This evening at sunset RN58 "Luana" & PO2 "Kalua" D24 were alone on the beach.

Wrapped up a 7 seal day - I tried to make it a 9 one but although I did a couple of stops on the Northshore this evening I didn't see R016 "Right Spot" & RJ58 "Kaimana"

Reminder: tomorrow June 1st - there's the North Shore Ocean Fest @ Turtle Bay Resort. Bring the family for a fun and educational day. We even have a real size whale you can walk in !

Thursday, May 30, 2019

May 30, 2019 Monk Seal Dailies

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand, Team T&D, and an update on the UF.

The last couple of days Team Billand reported an Unidentified Female with very large mobbing scars, This morning word from NOAA/PIFSC on what they know. She is considered a "new" sighting but was seen late last year on Kauai. They believe she is from Ni'ihau and as of now is registered as R403. We do have a few females known on the main islands with mobbing scars so it was big news to learn this is a new girl in the neighborhood.

Team T&D went out to Ka'ena Point today. Their only find was Ka'ale RH32 who is looking very very green. (I believe this is their first time meeting this critter). While observing him, he kept scratching his head on the rocks and was very vocal. They checked to make sure he wasn't in any distress, but no he was just being Ka'ale. They didn't see any other seals around, maybe he was calling out for his bosom buddy RN14 Kalani.
Of course Team T&D stopped by to visit Luana and PO2 who had just hauled out from a swimming session.

Team Billand was up and at 'em early. Team Billand found the lovely Lei Ola RH48 at a westside location. She was on the lower rocks, alone and very dry. She may have spent the night there. On their re-check she was still there before they made their way to Ka'ena West and she was still alone.

Next at 8:30 Team Billand got to KoOlina and security was scrambling to put a zone up for Pohaku RO28. They said she took her time deciding where to haul out, and finally did. At this point there were lots of people gathering. One lady passed the signs and walked right on thru, but the crowd yelled at her to get her attention. She stopped and was shocked to see Pohaku, LOL a huge fat seal and she didn't notice, I guess some folks really do walk around with their head in the clouds.
Team Billand called the hotline and waited. Volunteer Melina arrived and Team Billand left the site just pass 10 am.

Team Billand did the Ka'ena West trek with hopes of finding the U/F, they looked everywhere but never found her. BUT they did find RN14 Kalani, he was alone and resting peacefully. ( no dogs out there today).
About an hour later as they were ready to walk away and leave, they spotted another seal coming into the area. This seal was looking very green, and they were able to quickly ID RH32 Ka'ale. Rn14 Kalani spotted and heard him and dove into the water to greet his bosom buddy. Ka'ale was very vocal and crazy, they began to play really rough, Ka'ale being so vocal his mouth wide open. Kalani RN14 just followed him aroung in the pons. Then Ka'ale took RN14's spot on the rocks, so N14 decided to join him. Well butthead wasn't having it and fought him off. They both left the rocks and entered the water again. Team Billand gave up and left the bosom buddies.

As Team Billand was walking to the last stop, they heard seals barking, so they went to the edge and found Ka'ale again with RN14 still at his butt. Ka'ale galumphed on the rocks, barking at Kalani who just coming towards Ka'ale. To Team Billand's surprise there was a crowd gathering, not knowing where all these people came from. They were all respectable and enjoying the argument between these two buddies. Team Billand called it a day at 4 pm.

Ka'ale seen by Team T&D at Ka'ena Point