May 19 2023 Friday's Dailies (LATE - part 2) Marilyn's Rabbit Island Update

 ALOHA ALL!!!  I am doing a cut and paste with Marilyn's Update since there was so much happening on Friday.  Not to mention I am already late getting this out.

I viewed Rabbit Island from 8:40 am to 1:30 pm so that I could be present while the NOAA team went to the island to tag the two weaners. The weather was initially overcast and windy but the weather improved as the day progressed. I had to go indoors several times in the morning because of light rain.

The NOAA team went to the island in two vehicles, a jetski and an inflatable. There were 4 NOAA personnel on the tagging team and 3 in the watercraft. Thanks to them all.

There were at least five HMS on RI today.

The team had to wait a fair amount of time for the weaners to be in a safe location for retrieval. Then both weaners showed up together. The team worked to tag one weaner at a time. Weaner PO4 (RB12 Sadie's pup) was tagged with S12/S13 tags and her ID will be RS12. After she was released, both weaners hauled out of LPB, making it easier for the team to capture PO3 (RF34 Pua's pup) for tagging. PO3 received S34/S35 tags and will be known as RS34. The team tried to get some applied bleach marks on the weaners, but we will have to see how they show up.

After the team finished the tagging, RS12 hauled out on LPB not far from the team and she kept moving toward 1BS and beyond.

On the beach near 3BS was a juvenile to subadult male, R7AF. Tracy attempted a N2 bleach on the left side, a rear girdle bleach and a blotch on the right side.

Initially alone on the SRI rock flats was adult female RK38 Hali'a/Lauloa (Aukai's 2018 RI pup). She has a gray green belly and two tags.

At 12:15 pm, RK38 was joined by adult male RJ06 Aka (Sadie's 2017 Rabbit Island pup). He's adult size, medium gray belly and I think two tags. They were together and wet most of the time, so not good candidates for getting bleaches.

At about 12:50 pm, RK38 and RJ06 entered the water and moved in the Lanikai direction. I think R7AF joined them in the water briefly, but the RK38 and RJ06 kept going in the Lanikai direction and hauled out to weaner RS12. RS12 moved in the Makapuu direction and ultimately entered the water.

As the NOAA team was walking to the Middle Cliff area for pickup, they passed RK38 and RJ06.

Rabbit Island

Two Weaners