10/24/2015 Diga's Turtle Bay Day

It was a great start to the seal count for zone 10 with a text from Carola reporting Holokai (G40) at the Keiki Pool after 3 days of no sightings. 

At 910, I headed for Kawela Bay with my first stop at Kuilima Cove, I spotted a seal. First assumption was La'akea as she has been hauling out there but after studying the seal for a while, I concluded it was Nihoa (R912), by her back scar and 2 white finger nails on her right flipper other nuances. Her head was covered in sand so couldn't see those scars. She is looking plump (pregnant).

Nihoa

fun times at the resort

full figured !!

At 1500, I arrived at the Keiki Pool to relieve Carola. Permission was given to have the wedding at the Keiki Pool and the chairs and platform were set up on the hotel side of the pool and Holokai was sleeping on the Kahuku Point side of the pool. Signs and rope were run down the middle to separate the two. There were about 8 people swimming in the pool. A few children with floaties and the rest adults. Carola had spoken to each of them about the seal and they were staying on their side. Holokai snoozed through this part. 

The wedding was supposed to start at 1500, but was delayed until 1630. It was a very long, loud and boisterous wedding. It started with at big Aloooooha! Right away, Holokai woke up and moved behind a rock. There were several more eruptions and after about the 3rd one he started peaking over the rock to see what was going on. He then got on top of the rock and was totally wide eyed and transfixed with the wedding party. His reaction seemed to go from trepidation to full on interest in the proceedings. He moved closer to the water and I thought he might leave but instead he entered the water and swam straight over to where the wedding was being held and watched from below. He swam away from the wedding but would come back with each loud eruption from the guests. You can see in the video that the wedding party were noticing him too. At the end of the wedding Holokai swam to the reef and exited to the hotel side.

 special wedding guest