01/27/2022 Thursday's Dailies

Todays dailies are brought to you by Team R&B💕.   Also news from NOAA today they captured N2 ! Here is the official link: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/endangered-species-conservation/hawaiian-monk-seal-updates#noaa-and-partners-respond-to-hooked-juvenile-seal

Team R&B started their day at a west side location where they found three seals. Leina RL70, PvKauai RW02, and Pe'ekai RP84 all on the rocks.  Team R&B stayed long enough to make the IDs and left the area to keep the seals safe.

Next Team R&B hurried to the next stop after hearing of seal hauled out. When they arrived they found two males fighting near the rocks and Aukai RL12 snoozing on shore.

The two males were RH32 Kaale and Kekoa Alii RK72.  They were both trying to win over Aukai's attention. They galumphed over to her, fight awhile, she would move, then they would repeat. At one point Aukai slapped Kekoa Alii. LOL guess he was stunned that he just looked at her. Kaale kept inching his way to Aukai.  Finally the three settled down for a nap.

Visitors at the site were delighted and had lots of questions about the three seals. They met a woman whose daughter worked at TMMC in Sausalito, a place that many of us are familiar with. They also knew of other seals including Honey Girl.

Signs were posted and all were respectful.  New posse pal Amy came by with her daughter and by 11 am Team R&B left the site. Amy sent video of the trio interacting on the beach.

Thank you Amy for helping out and sharing the video! 

Team R&B checked around with no luck. They returned to check on RL20, RW02 and RP84.  Sure enough the three were still on site. RL70 was in her same spot, RP84 was on the rocks and RW02 slid into the playboy pond.

While watching the seals they noticed a seal hauling out. There was R3CU and RL20. Both would stay on left high rocks snoozing together.  

RL70 Leina

RP84 Pe'ekai

RW02 PvKauai

Aukai RL12

RH32 Kaale

RK72 Kekoa Alii

Kaale and Kekoa

Aukai - Kaale and Kekoa Alii

Video clip of boys fighting over Aukai

PvKauai at playboy pond

RL20 and R3CU

RP84 Pe'ekai

01/22/2022 Saturday's Dailies

 

Todays dailies are brought to you by Marilyn, posse pal Justin T. and Team R&B💕

Posse pals Justin and Christine were out today by Hanauma Bay where they saw three seals. They reported to the hotline between 4:30 - 5:30.

There was one very small seal, one middle size young seal and one large seal. The very small seal (juvenile) was sunning by itself. The middle-sized (sub-adult) swam by and attracted the attention of the larger (adult) seal. The two moved up the gully into the rocks.

The adult seal had an old scar behind its right ear. The sub-adult had a sandy tag that looks like a roto tag on the RFF. It could be PO4 Manana born 2021. 

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island from 2:20 to 3:45 and there were two seals together at thee 3BS. 

S/F - subadult to adult size, light gray female belly, unsure about tags. They may have been gray tags, which would make this KG54 Huaka'i. (she was in the same area yesterday). S/F moved down behind the waterfront rocks during Marilyn's observation

A/M - subadult to adult size, light male belly and two red tags. He moved down to join the S/F behind waterfront rocks. It is possible this is RK24, but seemed a bit bigger.

Team R&B started looking for seals a little later than usual today, as they went to get junior sealette.

They did some area that were dangerous today because of the big surf. They couldn't stand on the rocks to look, like they usually do.  They watched surfers getting slammed and some going for a great ride.

Finally they spotted a seal way up by the people, they headed over but had trouble parking. They ended up walking to the site and found R3CX Nalu on shore with people close by.

Later in the day they found RP30 Puka on the rocks snoozing and sneezing. They determined he was the U/U they saw yesterday. They also noticed he might have a cookie injury or poop smear. LOL. He didn't move enough to let them determine for sure.  

Lastly they did a recheck on R3CX Nalu who was was joined by R407 Kawika on shore. They were both sound asleep. The surf was still pounding!

Adult Seal

sub-adult - juvenile

juvenile

Rabbit Island

Big Surf

Nalu R3CX

RP30 Puka

Nalu R3CX

Nalu and Kawika

R407 Kawika

10/25/2018 Monk Seal Dailies:

Today's dailies are brought to you from Tammy and Marilyn.  
They both spotted the same critter today on the east side but at completely different times of the day.

Tammy and Dave were on the east side today and stopping by the blowhole they spotted a seal at eternity beach. There were volunteers on site, and because Team T&D had limited time they were not able to hike down. They could not get an absolute ID but based on their knowledge believed it to be Kolohe RW22.

Marilyn was on her way to Hanuma Bay Education Program Seminar this evening and made a brief stop by Eternity Beach and there was a seal still there with a volunteer. The seal was an adult male with no visible tags, but his natural bleach behind his RFF revealed the seal to be RW22. Looks like he might be ready for his annual molt.

Speaking of Hanuma Bay Education, Marilyn, Diane and I attended this evening and listened to Thea Johana's presentation about the field camps in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Please check the following link for her presentation.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi74IR7v60pZy0Qzb4UF9wQ

(keep checking until it's available, and check out the other monk seal talks).

5/21/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: (part 1)

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand and Lesley. Lesley's full Ka'ena Point Update is part two of the dailies.  I am also going to include a new section " Things I saw on Social Media " seems as though these days there are a lot more sightings from people so why not share here. 

Team Billand was out early checking their usual spots with no luck today. So Barb headed out to Ka'ena West trek and was thrilled to find RH32 Ka'ale on the rocks, looking like he was ready to move.  Barbara called NOAA immediately and spoke with Dr. Michelle about his condition, and all it good. His girth is good, color green, alert, no thrashing, no line or hooks visible.  Ka'ale galumphed higher up and then turned around facing the water, as if expecting another seal.  



Barbara kept watching and sure enough, there is another seal coming in really fast. The seal hauls up to meet Ka'ale and Barbara was able to ID RIP RR70.  He entered the shallows for about 20 minutes, watching little Ka'ale. He briefly rejoined him then passed to head over to the water hole for a snooze.  On Barbs way out from the walk, both seals remained and snoozing.

After much looking at all the spots, Barbara spotted RO40 Ka'ena snoozing by runway alone. He is huge, healthy, no hooks or new injuries. She left Ka'ena Point and he was still in the same spot.

Unfortunately Barbara found no other seals, BUT she did come across some beautiful albatross.  There were chicks getting big, some trying to flex their wings, actually jumping off the ground a few inches with the wind.

Things I saw on social media today:
The folks at Hanauma Bay spotted a seal and called it in. Turns out when a volunteer arrived the seal was ID'd as Kolohe RW22. Good to hear about this boy, been a while since we've mentioned him on the blog.

One of my kayak friends saw RJ30 Wailea today out at the Mokes. This is Nani's little one, and from what I understand she's been out there for a couple of days.

Kaimana RJ58/59 has been spotted recently (don't know if it was today, but seems as though it's pretty recent).

Mojo RI17 was also spotted recently. I don't know if the photos were of a sighting or just an announcement that he is Kaiwi's older brother and Irma's second born son. Then it was mentioned that he was spotted on 3/8/2018 on MCBH and called into the hotline. 

RA20 is molting on the Big Island. Her pup is a weaner named Manu'iwa. 

There was a plethora of pup photos.... PO4, PO5, PO3 and their Mommas!

Kaale RH32

 RIP N1 and Kaale

 RIP RR70 N1

Ka'ena RO40

Albatross