11/22/2021 Monday Monk Seal Dailies

 I open todays dailies with some very said news. We lost another beloved seal RW22 Kolohe.  Here is the official link to TMMC announcement. https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/news/endangered-hawaiian-monk-seal-dies-after-fighting-deadly-disease-in-care?fbclid=IwAR0J-IooF42TUYyfUE7jvMrUAWo3m3HNUIJ50QY71RxE91vr1M1-2FZd3hw

For so many of us Kolohe was a beginning, he was one of the first pups many of us sat with. He was relocated to Rabbit Island at an early age and managed to survive and return over the years. It was that year that several of us gathered and created the first volunteer non profit groups. It was also that year we lobbied and got the Hawaiian Monk Seal named the states official State Mammal. So many memories.

 I went through the blog from years gone by and was reduced to tears remembering all the seals we have lost over the years.  I know the MHI are doing well, and there needs to be improvements, but when it seems like a generation of seals are gone, it is extremely sad.  

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island today from 12:55 to 2:35 and there was only one seal seen during her observation. Marilyn thinks it was the same recently molted adult male that has been on the island. He was in the same place as yesterday. 

Team R&B found their beloved Benny RE74, snoozing by the wall peacefully. They didn't want to leave him just wanting to stay close since the sad news about Kolohe broke today.  

Benny it 99% molted and his wound was visible today, unfortunately there was a lot of sand over it.

Then they headed over to tracks and found two seals snoozing and all was good. Kawika R407 is also 99% molted. We're going to have a few very handsome males swimming around in new coats. The other seal was RG28 Lefty.

AND then there was the dude who decided to perform some tricks for the seals.

They were watching a seal foraging off the outfall area and then it left. They arrived at the site to look at the area and if there were any clues. That was when RK72 Kekoa Alii came hauling up on the rocks. He is looking magnificent and green.

Next stop was to the bay when they spotted a guy going down to the seal that had just arrived. Thankfully the guy just picked up his belongings and left the area.  The seal was R3CX Nalu who hauled all the way up on the rocks. 

Over to the left was another seal snoozing peacefully. It was Kala RH76, she must have been there for a while since she was all dry.

Team R&B see another seal hauling out but he is tossing his head up in the air and having a hard time landing. Eventually he made it over to the rocks. They ID'd RL20 who is hooked on the left side of his mouth. Looks like a green rubber lure and lots of line trailing past his body, down the rocks in the water. They called it in.

Lastly they spotted a fat seal resting on shore with the shore break washing over her. That's when some lady decided to walk up to her and get her photos and talk to whoever was on the phone with her. Geesh really wish people would keep their distance. They were able to ID RL42 Leia.

Rabbit Island

Benny

Lefty

R407

Kekoa

R3CX

RH76 Kala

RL20 hooked

RL42