Saturday, March 31, 2018

3/31/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: (part 1)

 Today's dailies are brought to you by Gayle, Lesley, Team Billand (back in action) and special update from posse pal RJ Strayhorn!  Lesley's full report is included part 2 of the dailies.

Gayle only find today was a critter on Rabbit Island, based on the white tips she is going with Kea N46. The photos aren't so great, cloudy, raining, and thunder mid-day, and hazy skies does not allow for good photo ops. Gayle noted despite the conditions looks like there will be lots of people camping overnight at Sandys for Easter Sunrise.

Team Billand is back in action, their first stop out at White Plains for sunrise. They waited around for a critter to come, but nothing showed up and they moved on.
They headed to a Leeward Beach and spotted a seal foraging (dives) 8 to 10 minutes. It wouldn't land but they were able to ID the cookie cutter scar on back and natural bleach below the cookie. The critter ID'd as R3CU, they stood by, but he never hauled out.  Over cast skies, dark clouds made it difficult to see off in the distance. There were fishermen and lots of poles set up. They lost sight of R3CU, let's hope he's stays safe.

Team Billand decided to return to White Plains for a check and they found big Buster Rv08 snoozing on shore, fronting the Surf Shack.  A zone was set up by the lifeguards, they informed Team Billand he had hauled up around 2 pm. The beach was very crowded but as the storm came through (thunder & lightning it was frightening go grease lightning :-)  the crowd thinned out.
Buster is looking big, robust, healthy and alert. Team Billand left at 3:30 when volunteer arrived on site.

An email from RJ was short and sweet but brought BIG news. RJ58/59 Kaimana was seen today on the north shore, all by her lonesome. RJ ID'd her by her J59 tag, she was seen around 3:00 pm.

Rabbit Island - Kea N46
R3CU
Buster V08
Kaimana J58/59

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