July 25, 2026 News from July 23rd

From Marilyn: 

I viewed Rabbit (Manana) Island from Makai Pier from 10:32 am to 12:11 pm. It was mostly sunny with moderate winds. I no longer have access to the Makai Pier lanai because of structural problems so I viewed from next to the container on the Lanikai end of the main pier building. This is really not an ideal viewing location because it's low and I have to stand in the sun.

The NOAA-DOFAW-DLNR team was on the island from 11:06 am to 12:06 pm and landed near the 1BS.

There were 10 or 11 HMS spotted on the island during my viewing session and I think 11.

Out on the rock flats at the Lanikai end of the island was RH76 Kala. I did not knowingly see her pup, PO13, but I suspect it was on the cliff side of her.

At about 10:47 am, I saw what I believe was a weaner haul out and and then move up to RH76 and then behind her. This seal was too big to be a less than 3-week-old nursing pup (PO13). Based on the process of elimination, I think this was RV68. The other three recent weaners were all between the 3BS and SRI.

Between Middle Cliff and SRI there were 8 seals (initially 7, but then the SU arrived while the team was on island).

On the 3BS side of Middle Cliff was RV70 (male): weaner size, light male belly, two red tags.

Closer to the 3BS was RU70: small juvenile size, old coat with lots of green, female belly, two red tags. She seems awfully small.

Just SRI side of the 3BS was a group of three seals. 

RU38: very large for a juvenile, recently molted, female belly and two red tags. 

Then there were two sub-adult to adult seals for which I did not get the IDs from Mark, one female and one male. 

Further in the SRI direction was RV50: weaner size, female belly, 3 tags. Mark applied a N81 bleach on her.

What I think was a Sub-adult Unknown (SU) hauled out between RV50 and PO10 at 10:48 am. It left as the team approached and was followed by one of the seals that had been in the group of three.

The last seal seen and closest to the SRI was weaner PO10, who is now RV52. She is female which I thought, but had been unable to confirm. She of course was the seal farthest away from where the tagging team landed. She entered the water after being tagged and later, after the tagging team was gone, she hauled out from the SRI channel.

June 16, 2026 Tuesday's Dailies

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

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island from 1:06 to 2:32 pm and there were seven seals seen during that time.

Ultimately all three weaners hauled out at various places on LPB. All weaners seem to be doing finr and holding their own.

RM36 Nohea and her pup PO10 were in the Middle Cliff area. Marilyn saw one extended nursing session. The pup approached a Noddy Tern with its mouth open. The bird flew away. The pup is very

active.

A Juvenile Female that Marilyn believes to be RU70 was among and later behind the rocks between the SRI and RRB. RU70 has a fairly green ventral and two red tags.

A Juvenile Female that Marilyn believes to be RU38 who looks like a sub-adult. RU38 first hauled out on the 1BS side of Middle Cliff, but RM26 was not happy and vocalized. Then RU38 entered the water and swam in the Makapuu direction and hauled out near the 3BS. Her two red tags were clearly visible.

Team R&B started their day checking out on the west side. At their first stop, at first didn't see anything, but then they saw this green thing. It was high up by the grassy area. Turns out it was RU12. She stayed there until 3:40 pm, then took off with the high tide.

Their next find was another small green seal with two red tags, that they spotted from afar. The little green seal took off and they lost sight of it in the surf. They believe this is RU22. Seems all the "U" cohorts are pretty green at this time.  lol 

Team R&B made their way to plains to check things out. There was only one seal on shore. It was thee lovely RL12 Aukai alone and away from all the pestering boyz.

Of course they went to the pup site to check on Momma Rocky RH58 and her pup PO11. They didn't do much today lots of snoozing. Team R&B did see a nursing session.  There were flowers all along the SRA

(how sweet) and one slipper that hit momma Rocky (WTH)

Team R&B did recheck Rocky and pup during the day. They had moved up the beach due to high tide.

Rabbit Island

RU12

RU22

RL12

Rocky & PO11

June 12, 2026 Friday's Dailies

Today's dailies are brought to you by Marilyn and Team R&B💕

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island from 8:37 to 11:37 am this morning. 

A four person NOAA team kayaked to Rabbit Island to tag the weaners and ID MO10 and PO10. And they had some big news.

Here are thee new IDs and bling for the weaners:

PO3 female is now RV50 with tags V50/V51 and an Allflex tag 930. No one was ever able to ID her mom, so we don't know what blood line she comes from. She was tagged down from the 3BS. She then took off and showed up later near the 1BS.

PO4 male whose Mom is RK38 Hali'a is now RV68 with tags V68/V69 and Allflex tag 936. He was tagged near LPB.

PO5 male, whose mom is RF34 Pua. After PO5 was tagged on LPB he hung around some dried branches on the beach for a few minutes.

The BIG news of the day was ID of MO10. She is RM26 Nohea, Kaiwi RK96's 2020 pup born at Alan Davis. Marilyn had heard very little of her and assumed she was gone. She was Kaiwi's last pup born at Alan Davis, thereafter Kaiwi has had all her pups at Kaimana Beach.  Mom RM26 and PO10 seem to be doing fine. They started out between the 1BS and 2BS, tthen swam clear to the RRB channel, and then back to the SRI channel. They do get around.

Also on Rabbit Island on RRB was RU38, Pua's 2025 RI pup. She is very large for a yearling and Marilyn thinks she has been IDing her as a sub-adult.

Apparently RU70, RJ30 Wailea's 2025 pup was also seen by the NOAA team.

Team R&B first find today was at Kahe. There was a fat RL20 Kalua sound a sleep on the rocks. He was alone for now.

After their appointment they went back to the site. They saw two seals at the outfall foraging. They couldn't get an ID or a photo. 

They check on RL20 and now he had company. R416 had joined him. R416 moved to the other side of the rocks and RL20 was in the pond snoozing.

They got word of a seal at plains by the cabins, but by they time they got out there the seal had left. The cabin guy said the seal only hung out for about 20 minutes and then was gone.

Team R&B went looking around and saw a crowd of people taking photos, so they hurried over to find a really large, female with lots of green and they didn't see any tags. 

People kept passing by and Team R&B did their best to get people to respect the seal. 

Meanwhile Team R&B was trying to figure out who this big female is.... then they saw the left flipper with bleached nails, ding on right shoulder and no tags. They believe this is Rocky RH58, It's been a long long time since they have seen her. 

Lastly they stopped at Nimitz and saw some awesome boobies fishing. They were able to get a couple of great shots.

Rabbit Island

RL20

R416

Rocky ?????

 

Diving Boobies