05/31/2020 Sunday Safe-At-Home (68) Monk Seal Dailies.

Aloha Good People,  I hope you are all well and safe in this crazy crazy time.  As the world is in chaos our beloved monk seals continue to do what they do, and our wonderful posse continue to be out there looking after them.  For that I am grateful.
Lesley's Ka'ena update is part two of the dailies.

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island late morning til early afternoon. The only inhabitants were there two weaners.  PO3 is significantly larger than PO1. They were on the far left of LPB and near each other. Seems PO3 was interested in making friends but PO1 wasn't going for it. Marilyn was able to confirm PO3 is definitely a male.  ( 3 boys and 1 girl so far on Oahu)

Marilyn was told the selected nickname for PO3 Momona means "abundance", another dictionary say the words means "fat" which seems appropriate.

Team Billand out on the west side found Lefty RG28. He had just come up on the right side of the rocks and was alone. He moved a bit father in and stayed put. Shortly after a lot of fishermen arrived and they hoped for the best that he would just lay low.

Next they found Ka'ale RH32 foraging at the outfall. They were able to see him get and ID and then he was gone.  
They left the outfall and went to check a near by beach and there was Ka'ale just hauling out. He is looking VERY green and keeping his healthy weight.  He kept looking to his left and sure enough there was another seal. 
On the rocks looking over to Ka'ale was RN14 Kalani. He stayed on his side of the rocks flipping over on his side, then to his belly. 
Seems there were a couple of drones in the area flying over.

Team Billand made there way over to visit with Leia RL42 and PO4 Kai. When they got to the site

both mom and pup were on shore snoozing.  There was a nursing session, another snooze.  Pup Kai kept pushing his snout into Mom's teats to eat, he was grumbling for more milk.  RL42 is getting thinner (day 39).  
There was one more nursing session and another snooze before Team Billand called it a day.

When they were leaving they spotted a seal going over the rocks to the right. They ID'd Luana RN58 who kept going further in to the rocks until it was hard to see her. She's laying low, maybe hiding from the cruising males.

PO1 & PO3  (Laurel and Hardy)

 Lefty RG28

 Ka'ale RH32 

 Kalani RN14

PO4 Kai and Leia RL42

 Luana RN58

05/31/2020 Sunday Lesley's Ka'ena Update

I tried hard to stay away today. Went and do my early morning dip and came back. 

An afternoon call from a neighbor saying little "Lina" is on the beach made me go down to check on her and confirm her ID RL98 Lina. She chose the only stretch on empty beach from crazy humans around here this weekend.

So on my way back I went to check on RN58 Luana tucked away on some reefs then a quick visit to RL42 Leia & PO4 Kai D39. Kai was swimming back and forth alone while mom Leia was sleeping down the beach. That has happened several times in the last few days. I think he's weaning mom and not the other way around. Today is day 39 so weaning is anytime now. Mom is still looking good but seems tired from those long swimming sessions.

So much for staying away.... ended up with 4 seals !   More tomorrow 

05/30/2020 Saturday Safe-At-Home (67) Monk Seal Dailies

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand, Marilyn, Lesley and film clip from blog reader Nicole. Lesley's Ka'ena update is part 2 of the dailies.

I received an email this evening about a monk seal encounter. Nicole was at Makua Beach when she noticed a very curious monk seal approach the shore line near a father and two children, but the seal swam out.  Nicole went for a swim and noticed the seal was swimming back, made eye contact. She watched from a distance as the seal explored the reef and then swam further out.
Nicole said lit looked like a bleach on the its skin with a N7 or N17.  I can't say for sure but I know RH76 Kala was bleached at the beginning of March with N77 and one of the bleaches by her flippers looks like a "1".  Looking at the clip it is a very "green" younger critter.
Thank you Nicole for sharing.

Team Billand did the Ka'ena West trek today. RW02 PvKauai was alone snoozing in a tiny water hole. He would be their only find.

Team Billand checked out a couple of spots on the west side. They found RH92 Nalani resting alone. Volunteer Melina was on site checking in on the little one too. 

Their last find was RN14 Kalani resting alone on the rocks today. 
Seems our critters were on their own today, everyone snoozing the day away solo.

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island this morning for a couple of hours and then again in the afternoon for about an hour. She found both 2020 pups on island today. News is PO3 was alone so he is officially a weaner.  

Weaner PO1 "Kahukai" was on the rocks at LPB about 100 ft of the 1BS. He is weaner size but more slender than PO3. She was able to determine male belly and no tags.
Weaner PO3 "Momona"was about 100 feet right of the 1BS. PO3 is looking plump and has no tags. Marilyn is about 95% sure it is a boy. PO3 was seen with Mom yesterday so she must have left sometime overnight.  The kid was having a little trouble rolling over because, well he's a chubby weaner.
It's would be nice one of these pups was a female, or had some distinctive markings. It's going to be really difficult to tell the difference between the two. 

Video clip of U/J swimming

RW02

 RH92 Nalani 

 Rn14 Kalani

PO1 

 PO3

05/30/2020 Saturday (part 2) Lesley's Ka'ena Update

I went down early to check on M&P and had to reroute for a while. When I made it to the site RL42 Leia & PO4 Kai D37 were having a long water session. While RN04 Kainoa was in a deep sleep on the beach. With all the voicing Kai was doing I expected Kainoa to wake up and move.

I then checked down the beach and spotted a big seal hauled out at Lyman's. Got there and ID RO40 Ka'ena I documented and called him in.

The new wound on his old pit scar mid back is healing fast. 

I was told that another seal hauled or tried to haul out at BB Tables, by the time I made it back the new seal and Kainoa had left.

Looking forward in having a peacefull weekend .  More soon 

 

05/29/2020 Friday Safe-At-Home (66) Monk Seal Dailies

Aloha Good People, I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. 
Lesley's Ka'ena Point update is part two of the dailies.

Team Billand had an exciting find today.  They were out at Ka'ena West and spotted a silvery critter with lots of cookie scars. When Barb got the tag shots R8HX and RK90 (yes these two tags on the same critter).  Well they got on the coconut wire and our Pal Val was able to ID her a female from Kauai born 2011. Not too much is known about her.  We believe this is her first visit/sighting on Oahu.
She didn't give them much else to work with in that she stayed in one position. There was another seal next to her.  

They finally got to it's tags RW76/RW77 who is RW02 PvKauai.  Confused yet? I am!  LOL  Often times what happens is a critter will get retagged, but the original number sticks with its ID.  ( example Ka'ena is known to be RO40, but has been retagged with 054 in which we rarely refer to).
The two of them were in the same spot when Team Billand headed out. 

When Team Billand was heading back to their car they spotted a seal bobbing its head in the water at Yoks.They saw four boys and their parents sitting on shore who had not seen the seal yet.  Team Billand tried to get down to the shore, bu the boys saw the seal and got very excited running towards it.

Team Billand called out to them to give the seal room. Once they got to the family they gave them a quick monk seal 101.  Parents were excited for the opportunity to see this.
RN14 Kalani hauled all the way up and his natural bleach was visible. Team Billand spoke with the lifeguards and they had warned the folks not to go down to that area, in that the waves could wash them out. ( Some people just don't listen).

Team Billand's next find was a little green seal on the rocks. They recognized the scar on the right side of the face. It was RL20 little Kalua. He is looking very green but not molting yet.

Their last find was RH36 Kawena and she was alone today. She was resting comfortably. I guess Lefty was left behind! LOL  get it?  LOL

R8HX/RK90 - This poor girl looks like someone was playing tic-tac-toe 

RW02 PvKauai 

RN14 Kalani 

 Very excited little boy

 RL20 Kalua

RH36 Kawena