It is with a very heavy heart that I am sharing the official announcements made by NOAA today and earlier this week. It is never easy to lose one of our beloved monk seals, and over the years I have dealt with the range of emotions more than I care to think about.
I find it especially difficult when we lose young animals (especially females) since they are the ones that are going to help this population grow. It's a really bitter pill to swallow when their deaths are not that from natural causes.
We were all fearing the worse with Nanea since she hadn't been seen for a couple of weeks, but death isn't ALWAYS the outcome, sometimes they show up on other islands, or pop up months later. This is one of the reasons sharing information among the "posse" becomes so valuable. How many little ones from Molokai or Kauai have shown up here or Oahu critters show up on other islands.
BUT tonight I am so saddened for our loss of RK88 Puna and RL44 Nanea. My heart hurts because we have followed their growth from the day they were born and watched them grow from little squiggly black velvet critters into enormous fat shiny grey weaners.
Lesley, I am thinking of you, as you were there daily watching over RK88 and named him Puna.
And Team Billand, there are no words to express how much I feel your pain. Nanea RL44 being one of the first pups born on the west side for as long as many of us can remember brought much excitement to all those who watched over her. Not to mention she was born at Paradise Cove, (similar situation as Kaimana being born at Waikiki). But having this beautiful little fiesty pup be blessed and named by Auntie Nettie gave me so much hope. There just aren't words to express the depth of this loss. And as much as I hurt, I know there are so many who are feeling the pain and loss.
In closing, I had to remind myself of times in the past when I wanted to give up, I was so upset by the loss that I felt it didn't matter, why bother. But a very wise man, my sensei, the seal whisperer, DB said to me.... THIS IS WHY WE DO THIS. Someone needs to watch over them, if not us then who?
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4 comments:
Your last paragraph says it all....mahalo
I am so very sad to read this news on Nanea. I've told so many people about my amazing experience learning about Monk Seals this past summer at Paradise Cove from the wonderful volunteers caring for Pohaku and Nanea. I feel fortunate to have experienced Nanea's early life and will miss reading the blog to catch up on her...and Mom. My thoughts are with all the volunteers who spend so much of their time ensuring their safety only for something like this to happen.
Mahalo,
Laurie ( NL, Canada)
We spent 40 days with Nanea and Pohaku, days we will forever cherish.
We cant believe SHE IS GONE, Pau, Just like that in a really short time. What happened? She had all her little friends and was doing well, staying FAT.
Suddenly, we heard she went MISSING????? So we thought we would try looking for her, as some times pups follow older more experienced seals. They will suddenly show up on the opposite side of the island at times.
But..then we heard it on the news, she was gone, DEAD. WHAT???? This cant be...she was so healthy, FIESTY...BEAUTIFUL. Independent towards the end.
We never made it out there to see her in HER NEW HOME. Our only time out there was when she got caught by NOAA and taken far away from a home she was born to. Taken to a strange ocean with other seals, BUT ADAPTED well.
Oh gosh, how sad to hear she is gone forever...FOREVER!!!! I cry ,I CRY!!
Finding Pohaku back at KoOlina helped us cope with Naneas loss...we watched her every day too until all her molting was done. I said to Pohaku, sorry about your pretty daughter Nanea..dont know what happened!! Heard it all on the news, L44 was found dead. The case is being INVESTIGATED.
I wish with all my heart, this story was a mistake some how...and that Nanea will show up in KoOlina one day. Wouldnt that be AWESOME????
SO long Nanea..where ever you are...you will never be forgotten...NEVER. I will keep you in my thoughts, my prayers . It was an honor to have met you little girl...I wish you had the life to grow old with us.
When ever we go to Paradise Cove, I see Pohaku and Nanea swimming in the lagoons so freely. I can HEAR THEM GRUMBLING to each other. Ah...such beautiful memories!!!
I am having a difficult time feeling the LOSS OF NANEA RL44. I think how lovely a little girl she was with mom Pohaku at Paradise Cove. 40 long hot days with them, and now its all over. GONE FOREVER our little fiesty Nanea.
What happened?????? I hear just 26 days out there at new location...then went missing.
But the news reported Nanea RL44 was DEAD!!!!!!!!
I keep looking, praying this story had a better ending for Nanea .... her name meaning PEACEFUL. Did she have a human do something to her????? Was it a disease???? What ta hell happened to SWEET NANEA.
I cry all the time, every day, looking at all our photos we took in those 40 days. I cant even talk to AUNTIE NETTIE yet...I just cant.
40 days of educating folks out there at P Cove daily with HMAR....all down the tubes.
Nanea is gone....I cant change a thing about this. It hurts. My heart bleeds for Nanea...for Pohaku. And to all the volunteers out there .
You would think things would get better, but it doesnt, DOES IT. Same problems, hookings, nets that kill, dogs unleashed, humans and cell shots for FACEBOOK.
At times I cant handle this....so heart breaking.
Who has the answers....I DONT. Nanea was the only pup we watched for 40 days staight for hours in hot weather. Enjoying our times together.
Next day, same story, look, find, id , make report....until one day, the one seal you fell in love with ...........disappears....then said to be DEAD.
How can we cope? What do we do? How can we all stop the pain?
Nanea...we are still trying...but for how long more...will we change the situation?
Will we????????????
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