MonkSealMania.blogspot.com: November 9, 2019 Monk Seal Dailies

Saturday, November 9, 2019

November 9, 2019 Monk Seal Dailies

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand and Marilyn.

Team Billand caught a beautiful sunrise at KoOlina this morning.
First seal of the day for Team Billand was Ka'ale RH32 on the west side. When they found him he was sound a sleep, down for the count on his side. He must have had a busy night or getting his beauty rest for the day.

At another west side location Team Billand found the very handsome Kekoa Alii RK72. He was alone and resting peacefully.

This afternoon Team Billand found da Benny RE74 where he has been hanging out on the west side during his molt. He was facing the ocean, waves covered him and it looked like he might be leaving. But Benny decided to turn around and galumph back up shore. There were lots of folks out today, and for the time being all seemed to be co-existing peacefully.

On their second visit they did not see Benny, but there were lots of people out and about.

At 2 this afternoon Team Billand found RL20 Kalua slumped over the rocks, resting with waves washing over the area. They did see his tag for ID and N17 applied bleach for confirmation. Team Billand suspects he won't be here for very long in that the waves were building and taking over. Team Billand left so they wouldn't draw attention to him.

Marilyn started her day this morning at sunrise and had to stop for the photo op. When she did she looked around and lo and behold there was a little critter RK24. Marilyn called the hotline and then headed out for her Ka'ena trek.

Marilyn did Ka'ena point solo this morning. She arrived at Hidden Beach about 9 am and found a molting RW02 PvKauai on the beach. He is about 45% molted losing most of the fur on his ventral side. He was ID'd by his W04 and W76 tags, and his male belly. He was still there when she left after 12.

When she arrived in the NAR there was an unidentified juvenile hauling out on the rock flats east of the main pool. Marilyn thinks this is a female and more likely a juvenile than a weaner. She was not able to confirm an ID.

In the main pool there was R330 Squinty, ID'd by his forehead scar, no tags, small natural belach on his posterior and shiny new coat. At about 10:20 another seal entered the main pool and had a few words with Squinty.

The seal then hauled out on the rocks about 20 feet away. Marilyn ID'd RR70 RIP by his RK76 tag and new coat.

On back beach she found RO40 Ka'ena up near the naupaka. He later moved down and entered the water at 10:30. Ka'ena was ID'd by his male belly, line scar at the base of his RFF, transmitter patch, applied N9 bleach and his O54 and O55 tags. He is very green and most likely start his molt soon.

And if Marilyn's day wasn't already complete when she returned to the east side she observed Rabbit Island. Marilyn spotted four seal today.
Seal #1 was located about 50 feet left of the 1BS, juvenile size, two tags, lighter belly. Marilyn was unsure of the it's sex.
Seal 2 located near Seal Rock Inlet juvenile size, newer coat, unclear on gender and did not see any tags.
Seals 3 & 4 were located close to each other to the right side of

Rocky Right Beach. Seal #3 never gave Marilyn anything to go on except a butt end view. There were two tags and this critter "might" be molting.
Seal #4 this seal appears to be subadult to adult size, light belly possibly male. Distinctive pit scar in mid dorsal area behind shoulders, possible pit scar near base of LFF and possibly 3 pit scars in front of the rear flippers. There's enough markers to get an ID if anybody has any ideas?
Despite NOAA's recent trip to Rabbit Island to bleach some seals none of the seals today had any visible applied bleach marks.

Ka'ale RH32