MonkSealMania.blogspot.com: 8-13-11 DB Dailies

Saturday, August 13, 2011

8-13-11 DB Dailies

I'm sure that everyone involved in the morning shift at ADs will agree, Irma & Pup definitely provided more than enough stress for all of us. When I arrived at 0600, Lesley was already on the job, and Irma & Pup were snoozin', and shortly thereafter did a feed. The stress began at 0837 when Irma decided it was time to move down, and instead of taking a perfectly good rock flats route, she elected to make this much more difficult route, over rocks and then over the edge of a substantial drop off to a barely wet lower level. As the tide began to rise, she decided to start moving up. With a perfectly good flats path available, she elected to make it a "teachable moment" I guess and began moving up over the same path used to move down. No biggy for Mom.... Big biggy for the pup. The ordeal lasted about an hour, with the poor kid scratching and clawing, trying to ascend the impossible route, falling back, time and time again with Irma doing lots of talking. The kid even made it to the top once, but then fell backward into a crevasse, and back down the the water , then swimming back to try again. Finally, at 1036 the kid finally make it up to Irma. We were all completely drained by that time. Thanks to Lesley,Lauray,Alice,Glenn,Tammy, Mike, and of course Missus Whisperer (the mother of my cats).

I waddled off to do a Rabbit Island check at 1100, and found a 20% molted Duke (RA12), left of Seal Rock Inlet. I thought I'd seen a break in the center chest area 2 days again, and yesterday, thought I'd seen an scruffy looking chest, but today was a "no brainer".

Also at 1100 I found Nani (RK60) in Seal Rock Inlet. On a pan at 1127 I happened to see Kolohe (RW22), partially visible behind the water front rocks mid way between Seal Rock Inlet and Rocky Right Beach.

An afternoon email, with outstanding photos arrived from Colleen , advising that Rocky (RH58) was at Diamond Head today, and wallow evidence suggested that she may have been there late yesterday also.

The Billands were skunked in the Monk Seal biz today, but the had a much bigger....a MUCH bigger problem. They and Clay Gates, along with IRQ maintenance folks spent the day wrestling with, and trying to the the Navy to do something about a giant fender from a pier in Pearl Habor. Despite lots of effort the cavalry is not coming. Clay reported that the ropes had broken and a dusk the thing is floating in the area at IRQ.

Looks like the morning started off peaceful enough