11/08/2021 (part 2) Marilyn's Rabbit Island Update

I viewed Rabbit Island from Makai Pier from abut 1:15 to 3:45 pm today. It was sunny with high overcast and passing clouds.

There were five HMS on RI today.  From the Lanikai to the Makapuu ends of the island there were:

Directly down from the 1BS was RK24 Wawamalu/Bruno: subadult size, light cream yellow male belly, two tags and a scar on the right side. I believe this is RK24 who I saw yesterday in the water at Spitting Cave.  He seems bigger here than when I saw him last on land in early October.  If it is not RK24, then there is another HMS with a similar scar on the right side.

Not far away was an Adult Male (AM): small adult size, old coat, dark male belly and at least one tag

in the RRF.

For a short time RK24 approached the AM and they briefly touched noses before RK24 turned around and started up the beach.

Between 1BS and 2BS was a Juvenile Female (JF): weaned pup to juvenile size, newer coat, light female belly, and probably two tags. NOAA thought my ID of yesterday's juvenile female in the same location as P04 was incorrect, because they had a confirmed sighting of P04 with her 215 tag at a different location. So NOAA suggested this was RP24/P01. However, neither yesterday or today was I able to convince myself that I saw the nb on the seal's LFF (mostly hidden in all of my photos today) that would confirm this was RP24 so I'm going with JF.  Then again PO4 was seen at 5 pm she could have left Rabbit Island and made her way to Hanauma Bay.

Near SRI was the same Juvenile Male (JM) I have been seeing of late: juvenile size, old coat with lots of green, lighter male belly and no tags.  This seal entered SRI about 2:45 pm and hauled out again a short distance away about 10 minutes later.

On the rock flats Makapuu side of SRI was an Unknown Adult (UA): adult size, older coat, not sure about gender or tags. This seal was covered with sand during most of my viewing and never gave me a good ventral or posterior view to help with an ID.

Rabbit Island