June 5, 2019 (part 2) Lesley's Ka'ena Update

I went out at first light to check on RN58 "Luana" & PO2 "Kalua" D29 they were side by side sleeping peacefully after a nursing session -pup still had milk on his nose. Around them the legion of "Dawn Crawlers" were guarding their sleep.

Later in the day I went into to Ka'ena, with the intention of making it to the point. I had to stop several times to do outreach.

The high light of the monitoring was to see from far a seal hauling out at 10Mnts Beach going straight as a bullet towards another seal sleep oblivious of the attack she was going to be into.

I IDed the seals as soon as I got there: the sleeping one was our dear R303 "BG" and the attacker RG40 "Holokai". He didn't stop pestering her, until they both rolled into the water and left playing in the waves.

In the late afternoon I did another check on "Luana" & "Kalua" she was sleeping and he was playing with a big piece of coral. Then finally lay belly up beside mom and went to sleep. PO2 "Kalua" D29 has already tones of red/rusty showing on his thinning coat, the inside of his fore flippers are already  turning silver. By their long day naps it seems that they have been doing night swims.

IMPORTANT: It was brought to my attention that R330 "Squinty" was her in front yesterday. I DID NOT do what I always preach and teach people to do: check and recheck seals ID when you arrive on site. As we arrived on the beach the volunteer came to speak to us, she had lost the keys of her car, we started walking the beach following her previous foot trails looking for her keys. She told me the seal down the beach was RW02 "PVKauai" and I did not double check. I saw sandy scars on the right side of his neck and left it at that. This afternoon I rechecked my photos and have to admit the seal wasn't RW02 "PVKauai" but R330 "Squinty". I added to corrected photos to this report     More tomorrow 

 

This kid is getting plump!