Saturday, April 14, 2018

4/14/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: (part 1)

Today's dailies are brought to you by Marilyn, Team Billand, Gayle, Lesley and Melody. Lesley's complete update is part 2 of the dailies.

Upon arriving at a beach on the west side Team Billand didn't see any seals, so they looked a little further and there tucked in the shallows was Rip RR70 sleeping alone.
About 20 minutes later they see a seal coming into the site, and it's RN14 Kalani.  He cam in fast sees Rip who instantly turns to face him. They have words as Rip didn't want to let RN14 up.  Rip blocked the seal inlet with his huge body. Kalani RN14 was upset tossed his body about, mouth wide opened vocalizing. 
In the end, Rip who was silent except when he went into the water, Kalani pulled away, Rip passed in to the open ocean. Kalani RN14 hung back a bit but then ended up following him. They both disappeared. 
Team Billand stuck around a little longer and spotted another seal coming in, turns out to be RN14 Kalani. He came into the other inlet and hauled up looking for Rip, but he was gone.  He began to vocalize loud and proud.  Like he won the rights to this domain!

Next stop Leeward Beach Team Billand found RW02 PvKauai on the lower rocks resting alone, but showing some interest in something below him in the water. He kept staring at a spot, they walked around and checked but nothing was there.  After an hour or so he looked down to the spot again, then he dove down to the shallows and was there for about 20 minutes. He then galumphed back on the rocks and snored the rest of the day away.  
On their recheck later in the day RW02 PvKauai was gone and the waves were huge. There was another seal high on the rocks. Team Billand ID'd Lei Ola RH48, bearing down as the waves were coming up around her. She is looking good and today she seemed to have a little mark over her left eye, very small, but something that wasn't there the other day.

While continuing on their journey Team Billand spotted a slither of a seal on the beach at yoks. They stopped to check it out, the seal had a cookie cutter wound healing on the left foreflipper area and cookie scar on mid back, scar on right eye, no tags. They were able to ID R353 between those scars and her right fore flipper has a separation of digits. One of the volunteers was there and Team Billand was able to help ID the critter.

Photographer Melody shared some photos of RO28 Pohaku who spent a little time at Iroquois. She arrived around noon and stayed there until 2 undisturbed. Security reported to the hotline and they also set up a SRA. She's looking very plump and healthy :-)  (thank you Melody)

Both Gayle and Marilyn checked in at Rabbit Island today and both saw Mystery Mom & PO1  a unidentified male laying close to them and another critter further away.  No ID on the Momma, although everyone is willing to bet their cat on RL12 Aukai.

Marilyn had planned on going out to Ka'ena Point but because of last nights weather the roads were left with debris.  She checked the usual hot spots on the east side and arrived at the Pier about 11:30. She immediately found Mom & PO1 on the sand about seal rock inlet and another seal (UM#1) about 15 feet to the left. A quick pan of the shoreline, revealed another critter on the sand near the 1BS (UM#2) .  He had an adult male belly 2 tags but no ID made.

Marilyn was surprise that Mom did not seem perturbed about the male being so close by, and even
more surprising was when the seal slowly rolled over and joined snoozing Mom & PO1. Mom looked back a few times but they remained in very close proximity for the next 40 minutes. Seal UM#1 appears to be a sub-adult male with 2 tags and a lighter colored belly.

No ID on mystery mom but she does have two red tags. There was two feeding sessions but no water time that Marilyn observed.  Then about 13:10, 2 two-person kayaks arrived on RI. DOCARE was called but it's unknown if they caught the folks. Marilyn left the pier at 14:20.

Rip RR70 & RN14 Kalani
 Kalani
 RW02 PvKauai

Lei Ola
R353
Pohaku
Rabbit Island Invaders - hope DOCARE was able to get to them
 UM#1 with PO1 and Mom 
UM#2 
Video

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