Friday, May 16, 2014

RIP R018 May 15, 2014

We lost another beloved seal today R018
Thank you Barb for sharing this photo of him during a healthier time

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4 comments:

barbara said...

It was 2pm .
We were on a mission, to recheck our seal R018.

Rob and I were checking this one spot for him, and I thought I found him just hauling in on shore. I ran, told Rob, THERE HE IS...I see him. Rob went to get the car and came around later.

I saw a man and his kid near by. I began yelling as I realized...the seal's body was flip flopping back and forth in the surf, out and in, flip flopping. I yelled at the man and his kid....GET AWAY GET AWAY...Leave the seal alone. I ran so fast...

Got there the seal rolled up to me on shore...OH MY GOD!!! IT was R018!!!!!!!! He is DEAD! He is DEAD!!!

Kalaeloa is an area with horrible phone service. Some how I reached DB...I told him, DB HELP ME...Call out for me...I found a dead seal.

I felt sick, so upset..our beloved seal was dead before me...

I kept trying to flag down a fishermen, Jumping up and down..for help. They saw me.

Mean time, Rob finally came around in the car...I yelled...ROB..R018..R018 he's dead.

Rob immediately ran for rope, to try to retrieve the carcass.

I saw a homeless man we knew, actually two of them. The fishermen came too...all of us pushed and shoved on the dead seal...getting him up and away from the waves..it was high tide and rising fast.

Lifeguards came, brought a tractor...but we were instructed to wait for NOAA..so the tractor was taken back.

In the end..two homeless men, one fishermen and Rob and I got the seal up and we waited. I poured water over seals body to keep him cool and fresh. I prayed for him. Oh how I cried and cried and cried.



NOaa arrived..the carcass was taken.

Never in my wildest dreams...would I ever think of Finding another DEAD SEAL..Never.

We all got the seal into the truck.

We all hugged at the loss of another seal...R018.

We used to look forward to his arrival every year..usually in Feb or March.

He did come again as usual, a bit thinner...but on schedule.

He gained weight lately..looking good . We were surprised he was so huge again.

He was hanging out with us White Plains...we were thrilled our buddy from Kauai was home again.

He liked being at 1707 area..plains.

Now he is gone..forever..and we will miss him, he was quite a cool seal...who traveled many miles every year.

So long R018..You will be missed..

My heart goes out to the wonderful volunteers who watched over him for years...just like ... US.


FLIPPER HUGS R018...say hello to alllll the other seals that passed...including...LONA.

May 16, 2014 at 4:27 AM
Val said...

Oh my goodness, I'm so sad. I just met R018 this spring during his molting time here on Kauai. I will think of him everytime I walk past his molting spot. Hopefully the necropsy will give us some answers. So sorry you and Robert had to deal with this. Barbara.

May 16, 2014 at 7:15 AM
madhatter said...

So very sorry to hear about RO 18. I don't think I could take it to find a very special seal who didn't make it.
It makes me very sad to read this I could not imagine how you guys feel.I am sending a hug to you guys from the mainland RIP RO18
Kathy Otte from Ohio

May 16, 2014 at 12:16 PM
Angel said...

I am so sorry for the loss of RO18. I had the good fortune of meeting him for the first time not too long ago. What a horrible experience to find him dead in the water. My heart goes out to all, but Barbara and Robert in particular.

May 18, 2014 at 10:17 AM

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