2-1-11 DB Dailies

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.

I got a call from a posse member at 1803 reporting an animal in the water off China Walls. It was gone when I arrived, and darkness was nearly here, but some Polish tourists showed me close up face shots (in the dark), and though inconclusive I'd put my dollar on Kolohe. It pretty much had to be either him or Irma since both were in that area today. 

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

Profile - Yoda R302 (untagged)

Yoda (R302) is an adult male of unknown age, first seen on Oahu in 2007. He is an untagged animal so his markers are the means of identification. He has severely notched hind flippers, and bleach marks on the hind flipper. He has too many dings and scratches to count.

White bleach mark on flipper

Notched edge of hind flipper

2/14/2010 Ka'ena Point

Kerby

Ka'ena & Yoda

Yoda

1/5/2010 DB Dailes

On my first look at Rabbit Island at 0726 I found Mikala snoozin' 50 ft left of 1BS. When I got back to Makai Pier at 0958 Mikala was still there, and I noticed just a sliver of belly up in the Morning Glory, fronting 3BS. When he moved down into view at 1003 I saw that it was Duke, his N18 shining brightly. Despite many a mile, Right Spot was a no show in my life today.

Team Billand called at 1014 to report Irma on the left, and Benny on the right, at the east end perimeter fence at White Plains. They called again at 1124 to report Kermit at Nimitz Beach. On their checks of Campbell Industrial Park they found a wallow, and got a report of an animal having been run off by a Quad. Later , the saw and animal foraging off shore, but no ID was possible. I gotta put my dollar on Ewa Girl but ?????

You should check northshoremonks@blogspot.com . Todd White documented Yoda at Haleiwa yesterday (1-4-10). Yoda looks to be about 85% molted. Keith Kenyon had gotten shots of a molting Yoda last weekend at Ka'ena Point, and I saw YouTube footage of what I believed to be Yoda at Mokuleia just two days ago, but Todd's shots confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that it's Yoda. His intial molt back when he first came on the scene 3 years ago was in March, then last year it was February, and this year, January. It is my own personal opinion that this has everything to do with becoming happier and healthier since he came to Oahu. That first year he looked to be a death's door, and he has gotten progressively healthier since then. Looking at today's fat and happy guy, you couldn't imagine it was the same animal seen on Day #1 on 11-28-07.


Irma @White Plains
Irma & Benny
Benny @White Plains
Kermit @Nimitz
Yoda molting on North Shore

DB Post (cont) 12.20.09

Rocky

Kaena
Yoda
Kermit

DB Post Sunday 12.6.09

Rabbit Island was a busy place today. The Monk Seal cast was composed of a D#7, 75% molted Right Spot at the 2BS. Mikala at 1BS, and Kolohe at the far right end of the beach. All would remain there undisturbed despite a record 5 DOCARE Incidents, only ONE of which was caught and cited. The others got away clean .............again.

At 1136 my pal Benny showed up at the east end of Sandy Beach. He remained until 1530. My wife was there to watch him depart, and pick up the stuff.

Diane Gabriel did the Ka'ena Point trek today and was rewarded with finding Ka'ena, Kerby, RI37 and 2AW at the end of the world.

Team Billand had a busy little day also. At 0645 they reported a 100% molted Kermit at White Plains, and then at 1048 found an U/M at Maili, which photo documentation has confirmed as Yoda. He was last seen at KP on 8-14-09. The next call was at 1703 to confirm the EB animal as Rocky.

Posse person Mark Cunningham called at 1715 with the report of R5AY on the beach behind his house at Kawela Bay on the North Shore.

DB Post 12.6.09 (cont)

Kerby & RI37

Kaena & 2AW

Kaena
RI37
Yoda

DB Post (cont) Ka'ena Point

DB Post Monday 6/29/2009

I was on the road at 0500, first stopping to pick up the Irma stuff at Irma's, and then continuing on to Ft. DeRussy in Waikiki. At 0535 I found Rocky , still in last nights location. The cones and signs were still in place so I simply restrung the rope. Thankfully, she departed at 0903.

From MO at 1022 I found M&M and pup near the water line at 3BS, on Rabbit Island. When I got to MP I could see that the pup was playing in a tide pool, with Mom close by.

Also at 1144 I found what would prove to be Duke and older sister Sadie, together on the rock flats at the left end of the beach. Duke appeared to be chasing small prey items in the tide pools . This is the first time I've seen Duke interacting with any other animal .

Barbara Billand and her male pup did the Ka'ena Point trek day, and found Kerby & Benny together along the Waianae side trail, and BG & Yoda on "the runway" at the point.

Rob & Barb Billand at Ka'ena Point