October 21, 2024 Monday's Dailies

Todays dailies are brought to you by Marilyn and Team R&B💕

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island from 12:32 to 2:45 pm and there were nine seals seen during that time!

On the back Lanikai side of LPB:

Mega weaner RT90 Manapua: chubby weaner size, two red tags and tannish yellow male belly.

near RT90 was R416 Makali'i: sub-adult size, very light male belly with distinctive scars and pigmented patches.

On LPB were two seals:

Sub-adult Female: who had been hanging out near the 2BS: sub-adult size, new coat, light gray female belly and two red tags.

Adult Female 1: adult size, older dark coat, dark female belly and two red tags. This female is looking a little thin and hasn't molted yet.  This made Marilyn wonder if she had weaned a pup recently which could make this be RJ30.

At 2:35 pm a smaller seal hauled out and moved up near the AF1. Marilyn thought this might be RT19, but when the seal showed its belly she saw that it was a female: juvenile size, two red tags and yellowish female belly.

A group of four seals was about 50-60 feet on the Middle Cliff side of the 3BS:

Adult Female 2: adult size, light gray female belly, two red tags and a jagged scar on the ventral lower neck area.

Adult Male: adult size, old coat, dark male belly and at least one red tag.

R7AF: sub-adult size, new coat, light male belly and two red tags.

RK24 Bruno: adult size, new coat, light to medium gray male belly, two red tags.

This was the most seals Marilyn has seen on Rabbit Island for several months.

Team R&B started their day at pokai and upon arrival they spotted R617. He was alone high up by the grassy area. 

To the left of him were RM31 Kai and RL20 Kalua. The two of them were getting ready to leave. It was a sweet interaction between them heading out together.

Next they headed over to rest-camp. They first noticed the seals were not all together this morning. The seals were RL12 Aukai and R3CX Nalu. Also they were further out, and then Team R&B spotted a shark, which is probably the reason why.

They were excited to see the shark swimming really fast with fin up. They managed to get a photo of one of the fins.  There was a paddle boarder who seemed a little nervous, looking down and around him  Thankfully he carefully moved away safely.

They spotted an unknown female with one red tag and green snout swimming in the area. 

Team R&B headed back to pokai and found that RM31 Kai had hauled back out and was now with R617.  R617 has some kind of plastic stuck to his face, they waited to see if he would freak out or get rid of it, but neither happened.

Next they found Miss Kala RH76 alone and chilling in the rocks. She knows how to get her rest.

Last stop at Makaha they found Miss Leia RL42. She was alone sleeping against the rocks.  She is doing fine. It did make them wonder if she was the seal they saw the other day at the cliffs.

Rabbit Island

RM31 & RL20

R617

R3CX

RL12

unknown female with green snout

R617

R617 & RM31

RH76

RL42

9/13/2017 Monk Seal Dailies: Squinty, BG, Kauai Kolohe, Pohaku, Holokai, RJ16, Rabbit Island Critters and a little surprise.

Today's Dailies are brought to you by, Lesley, Team Billand, Team T&D and Gayle has a whopper of a story! 

We start with Lesley's update from Birth Beach. First as of now;

• R330 Squinty has been there for 14 days and gone through a molt
• R303 BG has been there for 6 days
• RK36 Kauai Kolohe 3 days.

Lesley went down just after sunrise and found all three had spent another night.  Squinty was in the same spot as yesterday. BG & Kauai Kolohe snuggled together very close to abandon tents. Surf was big and high tide getting closer to trash. Great news Jamie, Eric, Mark, Marigold and all those involved did a great job clearing out the debris. 
Afternoon check Kauai Kolohe left the area, Squinty and BG are nice and dry high up from the surf. 

Team Billand checked on Pohaku at 5:45 am at Depots. They called the hotline and left a message. Once it was light Team Billand could see folks were around  and spent some time educating people that she wasn't dead. They departed at 8 am. When they returned at 12:12 pm Pohaku was gone, one of the folks said she went for a swim about 11:50. They found Pohaku hauled out to the right of her previous location and much closer to a homeless camp. Let's hope she decides to find a new area altogether.  Barbara also did the trek to 40 minute beach and found no critters (in this heat that is quite a task)

Team T&D were at Turtle Bay today and found little green machine Holokai RG40, Snoozing the day away in his usual spot and no sign of molting.  Their next find was Holokai's little brother RJ16 also snoozing the day away, although he's quite chubby with a beautiful clean coat. (anyone have the dates of Holokai's last years molt?)

Today Gayle found two critters on Rabbit Island. BUT the biggest and most surprising news was tonight she checked the blowhole. She spotted a small "weaner" size animal, which of course is exciting and she was expecting to find Aka RJ06 (makes sense since so close to Rabbit Island).  
When she got home and checked her photos... SURPRISE it was Nani's little girl RJ30, This is her first sighting off Moku Nui.  (This is a moment that I know would thrill DB using words like shock and awe, and YA DONE GOOD GAYLE !! )

 RK36 Kauai Kolohe & BG early morning

 R330 Squinty

 Birth Beach after an amazing cleanup

 Clean beach happy seal 

Pohaku molt is progressing 

 Holokai - I think he likes being green

 Ua Malie's little boy (not so little) RJ16 

Two Rabbit Island Critters

 Nani's first born RJ30 

 she's a little cutey ... tiny

8/24/2017 Monk Seal Dailies: RJ30, RN14, Ka'ale(RH32), Ka'ena(RO40), RW02, Buster(V08), U/W

Today's Dailies are brought to by Team Billand, Team T&D, and Gayle.  We also have some great photos of RJ30 Nani's little girl still hanging out on Moku Nui. 

The photos were taken a little too close to her, but it was explained they were unaware she was there until someone called out. Then it was ooops .... OMG she was snoozing right in front of them.  Undisturbed, a few photos were taken and they left.  Personally I hate she is still out there, there are sooooo many people out on the Mokes on a daily basis. I hope she learns to stay away from them.  

Today when Team Billand came across RN14 early this morning it was just a swim by he didn't haul out. They spotted him on his second stop but again it was just a swim by. It wasn't until later in the day when they found him hauled out in Maili tired and green. 

Team Billand found Ka'ale alone today, his buddy RN14 just swam by. Ka'ale was high up on the rocks and was still there in the late afternoon.

Their last find of the day was Kekoa Alii RK72 at Maili earlier in the day. When they went back in late afternoon he was gone, and RN14 was there. Wonder if they hung out together for a bit.

Dave and Tammy did a Ka'ena Point hike today and found RW02 hanging out in the tide pools.
 They found Ka'ena hanging out in the main pool. Both animals were ID'd by their tags.

Gayle sent photos of Rabbit Island and what appears to be a weaner.... good chance it's Aka but we can't say for sure.  Gayle found Buster boy late in the day up on shore by the naupaka, she left him at 19:00.

RN14 first swim by

RN14 second swim by

 RN14 finally hauled out getting some rest 

 Ka'ale RH32 

Kekoa RK72

 my my he's growing up so handsome

U/W at Rabbit Island

 RW02

 Ka'ena RO40

 Buster V08

 Awww Buster looking good

RJ30 (Nani's little girl)  

you can kind of see how she blends in with the sand and rocks... unless you're expecting to see a seal.

she wasn't bothered by any of it.

 little bleach mark over right eye