MonkSealMania.blogspot.com: 7/28/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: RH32, RN14, RK40, RN58, R330, RK88, RO40, RK36 and U/U

Saturday, July 28, 2018

7/28/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: RH32, RN14, RK40, RN58, R330, RK88, RO40, RK36 and U/U

Today's dailies are brought to you by Marilyn and Team Billand. Marilyn did the Ka'ena Trek with Lesley and Diane, Lesley was too worn out to send her update this evening. (more tomorrow :-)

Team Billand was at the outfall while the moon was still full. They spotted Kaale RH32 foraging just on the outside and then he entered the outfall for some serious grind. After a bit they spotted RN14 Kalani foraging outside the outfall and then he came in to join his buddy Ka'ale.

They fought a lot, causing all kinds of commotion in the water that people were wondering what was happening. ( wonder if it becomes territorial because there is food?) Kalani RN14 fought Ka'ale all the way out of the outfall, both heading towards the west. Team Billand and Mini Billand followed.
Seemed as though Kalani was trying to get Ka'ale to go with him, they fought on the land and shoreline for a while.

Finally Ka'ale RH32 took off alone and went back to the outfall. And then, Kalani RN14 returned to the outfall. Both continued to fight, away from the fishermen. Team Billand was able to observe them swimming under water zooming around. Rn14 Kalani left, Ka'ale disappeared for a moment and then went back to foraging. Team Billand left to search for other critters.

Seems that Team Billand's only find for the day were these two bosom buddies. Although they did see Ka'ale RH32 later in the afternoon hauled out looking green, chunky and snoozing.

Marilyn, Lesley and Diane went out to Ka'ena Point today. They started at Birth Beach, but the playpen was empty. The first sighting was RK40 Napua in a tide pool on the KP side of the parking lot. She was not there on their way out in the afternoon.

They found RN58 Luana on the beach at the 10 min beach. She appears to have just started her molt ( a little on the chest and a little near her rear flippers).

When they arrived at Hidden Beach they found R330 Squinty who was ID'd by male belly, line scar on forehead and small natural bleach on his mid-ventral area. He was gone upon their return.

Once they entered the NARS they spotted a small seal in a tide pool. They were surprised to see Weaner RK88 Puna that far into the NARS. (He seems to be expanding his horizons. )

Their next find was RO40 Ka'ena on the runway. He was ID'd by his male belly, tag chip and scars. He entered the water not too long after they left to head out to the point. About the same time Ka'ena headed to the main pool area they briefly saw another juvenile seal that appeared to want to haul out, but was discouraged by the large number of people who were around the main pool. There was no ID made on this critter, bigger than a weaner, but light colored and had a young face.

On their way back they did not see RO40, RK88 or R330. When they arrived to where Luana had been she had company. Initially they thought it was Squinty but when Marilyn checked her photos she determined it was RK36 who was ID'd by the c-shaped scar behind his RFF. Luana was not happy to have him around, they had words a few times and she kept moving away from him.
It was a SEVEN seal day for them! That's quite a day.

Ka'ale RH32