3-26-2014 - Leslies' Windward & Turtle Bay Trek

Due to this mornings downpour on this side of the island I decided to MIA on Ka'ena Pt monitoring today but made it to TBR for a shift with RF20 "Meli". 

I checked the Main Beach first because of calls reporting fishermen inside an SPZ fishing. There must have been nearly a dozen of them on the beach most of them waved hello and asked me very respectfully if it was OK to be there, I smiled back and said for sure then started picking up the signs and some even came around to help me. It was a good opportunity for outreach. They even offered to put up signs if a seal hauled out. I distributed several cards with the hotline numbers Out @ Elbow Beach RF20 "Meli" had just hauled out and was in a deep sleep.

Beach goers and fishermen had told me there was a seal on the other side on the dunes. I headed to 2nd Beach, RK82 "La'akea" was hauled out there in a deep sleep. Back @ Elbow Beach "Meli" was still sleeping tossing and turning near the waterline.

Kelsey (NV) joined me for some beach training so I invited her to hike back to 2nd Beach so I could show her other seal haul out locations and to check on RK82 "La'akea" again.
On our way back Cianna called me to report a seal at Malaekahana, later photos sent to her confirmed R5AY's ID. I drove there and spent an hour and a half doing outreach with beach goers and campers, then waited for 3 groups to do the crossing back from Goat Island to also do outreach with them.    Aloha,  Lesley 

Meli - F20/21

 La'akea K82/83