4/30/2011 DB Dailes

It was beginning to look like I was going to be skunked in the SE quadrant today, as of my 1300 to 1430 appointment , however Buster saved the day. When I got back to Makai Pier at 1430 there was Buster on the beach front incline, 100 ft left of 1BS on Rabbit Island. He was the one and only SE quadrant find today.

Barbara Billand called (from the Big Island) at 1215 to say that she'd received word of an animal at Yokes. A few minutes later she called again to say that her female pup, Jennifer, was responding. Jenn would later confirm that it was 2AW, fronting Guard Shacks at the entrance to Yokes. A later call from Tracy advised that Tim Sparks had also responded and confirmed the 2AW call. To Team Billand, and Team Sparks, Thank You...............very much !!

Buster

2AW

Just in Case

Aloha Good People

I am going to be in Hilo this weekend until Monday.... Hopefully I will have good connectivity from the Hotel and the VOG won't do me in.... you just never know.  ~donna~

4/29/2010 DB Dailes

On my first look at Rabbit Island at 0710 I found Kolohe to the left of 1BS, near the cliff. He would later move down to cool off.             When I got back to Makai Pier at 0930, Buster was just hauling out, 50 ft left of 1BS. He would reenter the water at 1131 only to haul out again at 1136 to join Kolohe. Buster did some nuisance nuzzling, but Kolohe would give him no interest so both soon settled down to snooze mode. The only other action was moving up with the rising tide.

On my 0744, Spitting Cave check I found Duke, initially doing 5 minute dives and gnawing on a Puffer Fish on each of the first 4 ups. On ups 5 thru 8 the Puffer was history and his dive times went to 7 minutes.

Team Billand checked in at 1028 with the report of Irma at Wind Sock, Kalaeloa Beach.

Buster and Kolohe

Duke

4/29/2010

Irma

Little Duke out exploring on his own.

So Long to a Friend and Great Volunteer

Aloha Good People....
Every once in awhile you come across someone special and you just know from the first time you meet there is an amazing aura surrounding them. Well Val has that.... I know Diane who is someone that spent many many hours hiking Molokai, finding seals and then chasing KP2 around will miss her dearly as will DB. But this blog lady is going to miss someone who helped this blog grow.

It started with an email from Molokai from a woman who went on hikes and searched the web for information on Monk Seals. She came across the blog and a friendship began, sharing information sometimes posted for the public and sometimes not. Val also took it a step further wanting to add some humor and appealing to a younger audience by adding Monks Moments...

I will miss her dearly... I know she will be reading and keeping up with the news on the blog, so I will try not to disappoint her.  For all her friends in Hawaii.... I understand your sadness.... We never know what is around the corner... we just need to treasure what we have today.
~da blog lady ~donna~
Oh I did ask Ron and Val when they were buying their return tickets... sorry couldn't help myself.

4/28/2010 DB Dailies

My first look at Rabbit Island from Makai Pier was a bust, and even when I got back to the pier at 0856, it was still a bust. On one of tons of pans of the beach, at 0938 I spied the tiniest little silver of white belly peeking out from behind the water front rocks at the right end of the middle cliff are, just left of 3BS. From then on it was a waiting game. Slooooowly but surely as the tide began to rise , the critter had to move out from behind the rocks, and at 1104 I saw that natural bleach , white spot just behind Kolohe's right fore flipper ! He would move up and into full view and remained there as the one and only Rabbit Island resident for today. 

The Billands were skunked again today, and I recieved no other reports.

My little, bald heart is stomped on, crushed and broken with the departure of Monk and Team Bloy today. They return to the beaches of Nebraska. The insights provided by the Bloy/Pike Expeditions on Molokai have been so enormously valuable to me personally, and to the Monk Seal program in general, that I can't even begin to describe the importance of the Bloys. I don't know how either Diane or myself will survive their departure at the moment, but survive we will, and the Pike Expeditions will hopefully, continue to provide the vital Molokai data that has become so obviously abundant. To say that the posse and I will miss you two is the grossest possible understatement. Thank You.........very much !!

There are a couple of late breaking stories. Tracy called at 1538 to advise that there was an animal at Shark's Cove , initially identified as R038, with a wound across the dorsal posterior. That set off warning bells in my mind, and a subsequent check by Todd White and the photo on his blog , http://northshoremonks.blogspot.com/ would seem to confirm that it is , in fact, RI37. Todd is having technical difficulties at this writing , so more photos will follow, but the tag shot would indicate that it is RI37.

Tracy also passed on news that Lona was seen at Hickam AFB yesterday. It's entirely likely that she is heading for the SE quadrant. I'll be keeping the ol' eyes peeled tomorrow.

Rob, Ron, Diane, Val, Tracy, Barb, and da blog lady

4/27/2010 Honolulu Advertiser Editorial

Aloha Good People
A monk seal fan sent this link to me... and its nice to see others outside our circle are speaking out.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201004260200/OPINION03/4260303

HMSRTO Earth Day Outreach at UH Manoa

Aloha Good People

We had a great Earth Day at UH Manoa doing some outreach.... it was nice to be in good company and we were able to sign up some volunteers. Dana will work on getting them trained and they will be ready to hit the beaches. Overall its always fun to talk story about our seals... even if it did rain a little... a lot.... well it was earth day after all. ~donna~

Da Blog Lady

Jan Dana and Liz

HMSRTO Volunteers at the Marine Mammal Center

Aloha Blog Lady,
I had a request to share some pictures of my trip to the Marine Mammal Center with the blog. It was a very interesting and fun experience.

There were plenty of elephant seals, harbor seals, and sea lions to learn from. We did a lot of boarding, dishes, cleaning, hand/tube feeding, sorting fish and restraining, oh and did I mention DISHES!!! With all those hungry mouths come lots of dirty dishes.

I spent two days with the harbor seals,two and a half days with the elephant seals, one day on a release, and half a day with the vet, Dr. Bill. My favorite experience was my time with Dr. Bill. As a nurse, I was very interested in the medical and physical aspects of caring for the seals. I had my hopes on seeing a surgery but they didn't have any during my time there. However one of the harbor seals died and on my last day I got to see the necropsy. This was one of the highlights of my trip. (Its not morbid, I was very interested in the anatomy.) The elephant seals were the best. They are so curious. Always watching to see what you are doing or trying to get a better view of what is going on.

I am very grateful for the privilege to go over to CA and have this experience. The people were very nice and taught me a lot. Thank you TMMC and HMSRTO for the wonderful experience.

Stacey

4/27/2010 DB Dailies

From Makai Pier, at 0658 I found Duke 30 ft left of 1BS on Rabbit Island. When I got back to the pier at 0900 he had moved down, and was now in the company of RIP. They entered the water together at 1026 and did a swim play session until 1040, when the hauled out together, 60 ft left of 1BS, where they spent the rest of the day.

Jenn Maldonado called at 1330 with the report of and adult, Kauai female 4DE (V02 bleach), somewhere in the wilds of Waialua.

New posse member, Donna Genco called at 1330 to advise that she and a friend had done the Ka'ena Pt trek yesterday, and reported 4 animals at the end of the world. Unfortunately, there were two that were in the water and barely visible, and definitely no identifiable, however, Ka'ena and Kerby were. Donna also provided shots from 4-6-10, and Ka'ena &Kerby were there together again on that day. Off to the side a bit was M&M. Ya' Done Good Donna.... welcome to the posse.

RIP and Duke

Ka'ena and Kerby

 M+M

4/26/2010 DB Dailies

At 0657, from Makai Pier I found what would prove to be Duke, once again up in the grass at the right end of the beach , on Rabbit Island. He would move down mid morning to cool off and remained there the rest of the day.

On my 2nd look at RI , from the Makapuu Overview I chanced to see a swimming head, just passing 3BS, and swimming left. I watched the animal haul out at the far left end of the beach on RI at 0820, and then relocated to Makai Pier. From that location , after a while , I was able to confirm that it was RIP. When the rising tide began to impact him, he entered the water and swim right and hauled out again, 80 ft right of 3BS. He remained there the rest of the day. He is newly returned from his Molokai vacation.

While panning to follow RIP on his swim, I happened on to Kolohe, who was stretched out on the water front rocks at the mid Middle Cliff area, where he spent the day.

Team Billand checked in at 0943 to report 2AW at Electric Beach. Their travels today took them from Yokes to Ewa Beach, and 2AW was their only find.

Duke

RIP

2AW

4/25/2010 DB Dailies

For the 3rd consecutive day, Duke and Kolohe would be the Rabbit Island cast. I found both at 0628. Kolohe was 40 ft left of 1BS, and Duke was up in the grass at the right end of the beach. Kolohe would enter the water at 0656, and haul out again, 70 ft right of 3BS at 0952. Duke would move down to cool off at 0842. Both would remain there all day.

Team Billand reported Irma at Wind Sock, Kalaeloa Beach at 0928. She had last been seen at the shooting range in Ewa Beach/ Iroquois Pt, on 6-22-10. It's difficult to say for sure but she may have a new wound on the left side of her neck.

Team Kenyon did the Ka'ena Point trek, and were rewarded with the company of M&M, Ka'ena and Kerby, at the end of the world.

Kolohe

Irma

4/25/2010 Ka'ena Point

A shout out to Team Kenyon for making the trek out to Ka'ena Point and sharing your great photos with us. Just want to make sure you know how much we all appreciate it!!

M+M and Kerby

M+M and Ka'ena

Ka'ena

Kerby

M+M