11/1/2014 Lesley's Ka'ena Point Trek

Marilyn, Ken & I did the KPt monitoring hike today. 

Marilyn & I combed Birth Beach and other beaches, nooks, found many trails, signs but no seals on our way into the point.

The tide was high and the swell was rolling in.

As we arrived near the Main Pool we found Ken watching R912 "Nihoa" . We sat at the point and waited while doing outreach with visitors and hikers.

After a short while I heard Marilyn calling out "seal". Looking towards where she was pointing we saw a seal swimming between Back Beach and Main Pool. Shortly after the seal entered the pool and tried to settle despite being rolled by the waves. On one of the rolls we saw the pit scar mid back followed by the scar on the top of the RFF making RO40 "Ka'ena" ID possible.
 

On our way back coming close to 10Mnts Beach we spotted RN58 "Luana" rolling on the beach. It looked like she was getting ready to leave but she ended up turning around and galumphing up the beach. She was very restless and seemed to be scratching her face a lot in the sand.  She's starting her first molt (signs on her face noticed last Wednesday and today). It's a slow process and looks more like shedding then a catastrophic one.
Back at the cars we saw a Halloween left over parked behind us.  Aloha,  Lesley 

 R912 Nihoa resting comfortably 

 RN58 Luana

 Ka'ena