July 25, 2026 News from July 23rd

From Marilyn: 

I viewed Rabbit (Manana) Island from Makai Pier from 10:32 am to 12:11 pm. It was mostly sunny with moderate winds. I no longer have access to the Makai Pier lanai because of structural problems so I viewed from next to the container on the Lanikai end of the main pier building. This is really not an ideal viewing location because it's low and I have to stand in the sun.

The NOAA-DOFAW-DLNR team was on the island from 11:06 am to 12:06 pm and landed near the 1BS.

There were 10 or 11 HMS spotted on the island during my viewing session and I think 11.

Out on the rock flats at the Lanikai end of the island was RH76 Kala. I did not knowingly see her pup, PO13, but I suspect it was on the cliff side of her.

At about 10:47 am, I saw what I believe was a weaner haul out and and then move up to RH76 and then behind her. This seal was too big to be a less than 3-week-old nursing pup (PO13). Based on the process of elimination, I think this was RV68. The other three recent weaners were all between the 3BS and SRI.

Between Middle Cliff and SRI there were 8 seals (initially 7, but then the SU arrived while the team was on island).

On the 3BS side of Middle Cliff was RV70 (male): weaner size, light male belly, two red tags.

Closer to the 3BS was RU70: small juvenile size, old coat with lots of green, female belly, two red tags. She seems awfully small.

Just SRI side of the 3BS was a group of three seals. 

RU38: very large for a juvenile, recently molted, female belly and two red tags. 

Then there were two sub-adult to adult seals for which I did not get the IDs from Mark, one female and one male. 

Further in the SRI direction was RV50: weaner size, female belly, 3 tags. Mark applied a N81 bleach on her.

What I think was a Sub-adult Unknown (SU) hauled out between RV50 and PO10 at 10:48 am. It left as the team approached and was followed by one of the seals that had been in the group of three.

The last seal seen and closest to the SRI was weaner PO10, who is now RV52. She is female which I thought, but had been unable to confirm. She of course was the seal farthest away from where the tagging team landed. She entered the water after being tagged and later, after the tagging team was gone, she hauled out from the SRI channel.