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 30, 2026 Tuesday's Dailies

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

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island from 12:35 to 2:40 pm and there were seven seals seen during that time.

There as an ever changing group of four seals on LPB or the rock flats Lanikai side of LPB.

There was a group of three seals on the rock flats soon after Marilyn started viewing including an Adult Unknown, Weaner Male, and an Unknown Unknown almost hidden in a crevice. All of these seals moved on to the back Lanikai side of LPB at some point. 

Initially at the back middle of LPB was a seal labeled Sub-adult Unknown. This seal appears to be molting but Marilyn never saw the ventral so she couldn't estimate the amount of molting.

Later all four seals were in a group on the left back of LPB including the A/U and S/U and two weaner males. 

At 1:10 pm Marilyn spotted RM26 Nohea and PO10 among the waterfront rocks about 2/3s of the way between the 1BS and 2BS. They had an extended nursing session and then the pup moved up and partially hidden by waterfront rocks.

At 2:11  pm Marilyn noticed that the weaner female RV50 had hauled out down from the 3BS: weaner size, female belly and three red tags.

Team R&B were very surprised to find Miss Kala RH76 on the west side.  She was resting in a little pond and there were a few tourist that informed Team R&B of the seal.  We were all hoping Miss Kala would be on her way to Rabbit Island. She is so big she is moving quite slow hauling up on the rocks.  

At another location they saw something on shore from afar. They headed over and found RU22 looking very green.

Stopping at Kahe they found Mr. Lefty RG28. It's been a while since they have seen him. He's looking good.

Once again from afar they spotted two seals at tracks. There were people around them, so Team R&B drove down. There they found RH48 Lei Ola with a male who had 2 red tags. They couldn't ID the male with so much sand, they thought maybe R3CX but can't be sure.

At electric beach they saw people focusing on something in the water. Team R&B kept looking and then saw two seals fighting. While fighting they kept going and out of sight. No ID on either , reported as unknown adults.

Team R&B finally made it out to the pup site at 1:30 pm. They had a busy start of the day on the west side. When they arrived they didn't see mom or pup at all. They asked a woman about them and she point way down to another area. They were near the first birth pond area swimming. They couldn't believe that was a man with his boy

swimming in the zoned off area. Team R&B looked for a volunteer but couldn't find any.

Mom and pup were coming towards the area after a while. PO11 is getting stronger day by day. Rocky is a good mom. She kept barking at the kid, come on lets go!

Team R&B saw that a volunteer arrived, and they asked if they should move the signs back as Rocky and pup were showing interest in landing. They offered to dig the holes again, so they waited.

They met a nice lady who was camping to the left and share photos of the pup. She was really touched by the photos of the birth. Team R&B advised not to go into the area as the mom is very aggressive, the woman appreciated the advice.

Then Team R&B see another lady in the zone with mom and pup. WHAT are people thinking. Team R&B alerted the volunteer and called out to the woman. The volunteer ran down but the lady went down took her pictures and left. 

Team R&B and volunteer made the zone better with ropes, arrow boards to go around.  Team R&B left the area as Mom and pup settled in for a nursing session. 

Rabbit Island

RH76

RU22

RG28

U/M

RH48 & UM

RH48 Lei Ola

2 Unknown Males

RH58 & PO11

June 29, 2026 Monday's Dailies

Todays dailies are brought to you by Marilyn. (I assume Team R&B fell asleep and didn't get their update done.)

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island from 12:29 to 2:40 pm and there were seven seals seen during that time.

At 1:33 pm, Weaner Male 1 hauled out at the back Lanikai side of LPB. The seal did roll over at some point and showed his male belly. He mostly snoozed.

On the 1BS side of LPB were two seals, same as yesterday: 

Weaner Male 2: recent weaner size, at least two red tags and light male belly.

Nearby was a Sub-adult Female: sub-adult size, lighter female belly and two red tags.

At 1:46 pm, Weaner Female RV50 hauled out to WM2 and the SF. The SF moved away from the WF. Later RV50 WF moved to the middle of LPB where she showed her female belly.

On the Makapuu side of Middle Cliff RM26 and PO10 were hauled out. The pup nursed for an extended period of time. PO10 is putting on the pounds.

Almost directly down from the 3BS was a Sub-adult Unknown: sub-adult to adult size, old coat with mottled belly, sex undetermined, not sure about tags.

Rabbit Island