May 12, 2019 Monk Seal Dailies

Todays' dailies are brought to you by Team Billand, Lesley and Marilyn.  Lesley's Ka'ena Update is part 2 of the dailies. 

Despite Marilyn's efforts she was skunked, not even a critter on Rabbit Island.  If it were me I would have counted seal rock as a UU.  

Team Billand started their day at 7 am on their way to the outfall looking for seals.  All the fishermen were pretty cool wishing Barbara a Happy Mother's Day.  Personally I think this is amazingly cool.  The fishermen then told them that a seal had just passed in the outfall and then took off.

From there Team Billand headed over to a nearby haul out. They made it out to the rocks and there was seal just coming in very cautiously, looking over rocks to it's right and left and behind him. It was RN14 Kalani, ID'd by tags, and applied bleach numbers on his side and butt.  As soon as they ID'd him and then just left.  They watched for a while and then just as they were ready to leave, they spotted a seal.
It was RN14 Kalani and this time he came up in mid rocks, and started to vocalize, moaning with with his mouth opened and nostrils flared open.  A wave pushed him sideways, he was able to pull himself up and hauled up on mid rock, more moaning.  ( calling out to his friends?)
Team Billand left to go check other spots, and came back to check on RN14. He was there and quiet in the water hole sleeping by himself.
Team Billand was out until 10 am and then went to celebrate a well deserved Mother's Day with family.

UPDATE on Oahu Pups.
I had the pleasure today meeting PO2 and got to see a wonderful interaction between Mom Luana RN58 and her pup. He was born on May 8th and his gender was identified immediately. This is the first time I have ever known a pup's sex determined so early let alone the day it was born.

PO1 - Unfortunately this is on a very sad note.
"On Saturday, April 20th NOAA Fisheries staff and responders recovered the carcass of a days-old, male Hawaiian monk seal pup at Baby Makapuu tide pools, in Waimanalo, it was transported to NOAA IRC facility. Currently they do not know the identity of the pup's mother. They will/have conducted a postmortem examination on April 29, 2019 in an effort to determine a cause of death. NOAA will provide updates as they become available" 
My personal opinion is there is a good chance that RL12 Aukai was the mother, She had been seen on Rabbit Island shortly before and after, and the timing is such would have delivered. Aukai has been seen on the east side on Mokulua Island with RJ30.  

AND LAST update as of Today R5AY gave birth today, Mother's Day at undisclosed location.
HAPPY MOTHER's DAY!!  I am looking forward to posting updates and photos as they come in.

 RN14 Kalani

Luana and PO2's first couple of days together 

 Day 1 from Auntie Lesley 

Video DAY ONE