8/20/2014 Lesley Update from Ka'eana Point Trek

Kimo L & I did the Ka'ena Pt monitoring hike this morning.
We first found RL42 sleeping on the little beach inside "Ka'ena's pool".
While at the point looking at some divers straight out from Back Beach I spotted a different splash far out in the ocean. It looked like 2 seals playing or one foraging. Soon after I saw it swimming towards the point. I had just enough time to whistle to 2 swimmers for them to get out of the water and the seal came into the entrance of the Main Pool looked around and left. I went down to do some outreach and all were very thankful and interested.
The seal had a typical RO40 "Ka'ena" behavior. As soon as the outreach was done I saw the divers/snorklers with harpoons swimming back to Back Beach. They literally hauled out since each one was loaded with fish. We talked story, I asked them if they had seen seals or had any interaction with. The answer was "no mam, thank god, we respect those guys". Introductions were made before we parted: thank you to Kapena, Makua and their friend for sharing stories.
We were inpatient to get back to "Ka'ena's Pool" to check if our fly by seal was him. Sure enough there he was side-by-side RL42 in the pool under the waterfall side.
We checked Birth Beach on our way in and on our way out, there was only an old trail. Yesterday we went down for sunset and saw no one.
Photos (& NOAA's reports) will be sent later or in the morning because we'll be back in town late tonight.
Aloha, Lesley