Todays dailies are brought to you by Team T&D, Marilyn and Team R&B💕, a busy day in the seal world. We also have an update from NOAA on a female that Marilyn saw on Thanksgiving and Team R&B had seen on the west side a few weeks ago. She was matched to a Kauai seal (that is new to Kauai too). She has a pit scar on her left posterior and another on her dorsal/right posterior and a small skin flap in the middle of her LRF. Her ID is R608.
But before I dive into the dailies I want to take this opportunity to wish Mrs. Whisperer a very Happy Birthday ! Team R&B also sent their message "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS MARYLIN DUNLAP!! God Bless you for all the work you do with the seals...DB is smiling from Heaven on you....Keeping his work going. You are so appreciated!!!!!"
Team T&D hiked Ka'ena Point with some friends who were visiting. Their first seal find was RL74 Kami. Next they found PvKauai RW02. While trying to ID him, they heard a sneeze and RW02 didn't move so that meant there was another seal. They turned the corner and were surprised to find two other seals not far away. There was Ka'ena RO40 and RN14. With two of these three seals molting it was very smelly out there. There was another seal doing its hippo pose on the other side, but they could not make an ID, so it was reported as an U/U.
Along with the seals they observed many Shearwaters in their burrows. There were lots of Albatross and when one stood up briefly there was an egg. Lastly they ended their hike by stopping and there was KG54 Huaka'i.
Team R&B started at the bay and found the kid RL20 foraging in the bay. There were fishing boats out there chumming the water. The kid never landed, he was busy catching everything he could. They spotted a seal on shore by the cabins at the camp. They went to check it out and there was R3CX Nalu. The lifeguard once again put the signs up. They are so appreciated.
At another west side site they found Lefty RG28 completely dry. He was on the rocks alone snoozing.
Next they found R407 Kawika snoozing inside a zone at tracks. Team R&B fixed an area that the windhad knocked over. Team R&B left the site and happened to look back and saw a 2nd seal hauling in. There was a group of people rushing over to the seal.
They went to check and it was RH32 Kaale. He went up higher and stayed with R407.
Lastly they made another stop at the bay to check. They were happy to see Kala RH76 hauled out to the left. She was alone and resting.
They also saw RL20 was still foraging, no surprise. And R3CX was still on shore at the cabins.
Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island alone from 12:20 to 12:50 and then again from 3:00 to 4:15 with Diane and me. The weather was more cooperative on the second visit. There was a total of five seals on island today.
Near the 1BS were two seals:
Molting male; large adult size, mostly old coat male belly with about 35% molted. (upper 2/3 of ventral area and partly up lower sides) At least one tag on RRF.
SA/M: subadult to small adult size, gray male belly, may have scar on the left rear head area. This is a different S/AM than the one from yesterday.
Between 1BS and 2BS were two juvenile seals: J/F: juvenile size, yellowish female belly and two tags. No NB on LFF so not RP24. Marilyn thinks this seal is too small to be a 2020 pup.
J/M: juvenile size, light male belly and no tags. There were no males born on RI in 2021, so Marilyn had no guesses as to who it might be. It also looks too small to be a 2020 pup. These two changed their positions during the time Marilyn took a break.
By the 3BS:
SA/F: subadult size, cream female belly, two tags. She has a CC scar on her left belly near her rear flippers.
KG54
RL74
RO40
RW02
UU
RL20
R3CX
RG28
R407
RH32
Kaale and Kawika
RH76
Rabbit Island
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