8/4/2010 DB Dailies

The first order of business, at 0600 was to make a Waikiki run to pick up some stuff that Karen couldn't deal with last night, when Makaiwi left at approximately 1930. I found nobody in the Queen's area. On the way back to the civilization of "the burbs", I did a Diamond Head check and found nobody.

At 0720, from the Makapuu Overview I found Kolohe at the right end of the Middle Cliff area. He would remain there all day.

When I got to Makai Pier at 0740 I found Duke up in the grass at the right end of the beach at Seal Rock Inlet (SRI). He too would remain there the rest of the day .

When I got back to Makai Pier at 0930 I found that RIP and Sam had joined the cast at the left end of the beach. They too would remain there the rest of the day.

There were no other calls.

This was D#36 for R5AY & Pup. My pal (and computer savior) John Johnson sent killer photos from Turtle Bay today. Thank You...............very much !

Kolohe

Sam and RIP

R5AY and an unbelievable porky pup

8/4/2010 Jeff Walters Interviewed on earthsky.org

Aloha Good People;

Team Billand's pup (child) found this link to earthsky.org with our very own Jeff Walters interview!  Great information to share with others. Nice to have Jeff recognized and for our monk seals being brought to the attention of a wider audience.  ~donna~

http://earthsky.org/biodiversity/jeff-walters-with-the-good-newsbad-news-about-hawaiian-monk-seals

8/3/2010 DB Dailies

It was a misty, overcast day for Rabbit Island observations, but since I wasn't there much it really didn't matter. At 0650 I found Duke cruisin' in the Morning Glory at 1BS, and Kolohe at what has become his usual location of late, at the right end of the beach. I would later find Sadie at the left end tucked into the base of the cliff, left of 1BS. When I got back to Makai Pier at 0915 I found that Buster had joined the cast , at the left end, and moments later chubby little Sam hauled out to join him. Duke would later move over to join them. Sadie , as usual, moved down and into the water at 1028. I did not see her again today.

The highlight of the day began with a call from Dera, at 1057, with the report of an animal in Waikiki, near lifeguard stand 2E. When I arrived at 1134 I found Makaiwi (4DF), mid way between lifeguard stands 2F and 2E (across from the Zoo). The lifeguards already had her taped off so I just put out signs, and remained until 1400 doing public relations. Posse members Don and Karen also pulled shifts. ( I think Maka'iwi heard all about Papa Seal Whisperer and had to make her way to meet him... this kid knows she has that charm... I do hope she doesn't stay in or around Waikiki for long...  So interesting that after all that time at Nimitz she takes off and lands herself here... She is a cutie! )

This was D#35 for R5AY & Pup at Turtle Bay. I'm told that they relocated late yesterday to a spot a tad right of the "Keike Pond", where all this began.

Buster, Duke and Sam

Duke

Kolohe

Sadie

Maka'iwi

8/3/2010 R5AY and Pup no more

Thank you Auntie Lesly for the great shots today... and I agree that what a difference, looks like we had a huge growth spurt in just the last couple of days.... Amazing! 

So are there bleach marks on the muzzle or is this the new coat color coming through?

8/2/2010 DB Dailies

At 0640 , from the Makapuu Overview I found Kolohe at the far right end of the beach on Rabbit Island. He remained there all day, as has been the case over the last several days.

At 0919 when I back to Makai Pier I found Buster and Sam together, 40 ft left of 1BS.

At 1031 on a pan I found Sadie on the far left end of the beach.

At 1058 first Sam and then Buster entered the water for a swim/play session. I had to take off for Diamond Head, but when I got back to Makai Pier at 1359 I found Sam, Sadie and Buster all at the far left end. They would remain there the rest of the day.

At 1113 posse member Rachel called from Diamond Head with the report of 2 animals (both with transmitters). When I arrived at 1155 I found only Makaiwi (R4DF) on the beach, mid way between the Graffiti Bunker and Colleen's house. According to Rachel the other animal took off just prior to my arrival, she followed as the animal swam in a Waikiki direction , but lost it to the right of the showers. In debriefing Rachel she was describing what I believe to by RIP, but of course that is only my personal opinion. I've got a call in to Charles , hoping for some help, but have not heard back as of this writing. Though Makaiwi has been an almost daily member of my day to day life, via Team Billand reports, this marks the first time we've actually met. I agree with the Billands, cute da' girl !!! This is her first sighting anywhere other than the SW quadrant. As of 1900 Makaiwi was still snoozin' at Diamond Head.

Speaking of Team Billand, regular readers will have noticed no TB for the last couple of days. Now you know why. All the usual suspects from the SW quadrant are visiting the SE quadrant (or Molokai) it seems. That changed today.

Team Billand did the Ka'ena Point trek and found Ka'ena, RI37, 4DJ, M&M and Kiko at the end of the world.

I got a call from White Plains life guard , Bryan , reporting a new arrival at the Kalaeloa Campgrounds at 1312. Team Billand, heading back to civilization, took the call, and at 1613 confirmed the animal as Ewa Girl !

Kolohe

Sadie

Sam, Sadie and Buster

Maka'iwi

I'll just snooze until Auntie Colleen gets home.

8/2/2010 Barbara makes the trek to Ka'ena Point

Ka'ena

Kiko

M+M and 4DJ

RI37 looking good all healed

Ewa Girl (not at Ka'ena Point) at Kalaeloa

Dr. Charles Updates Our iSeals for July

Aloha All-

I am back on Oahu after a long hiatus and figured some of you might be interested in cellphone tracking updates. First off, despite my absence the monk seal research team kept up the effort to get more tags out proving their prowess and my continued march towards permanent desk duty. So thanks to them and all of the volunteers out there that have been helping with the research effort!

I have only worked up a few quick maps to give updates on some of your favorites.

First is Kermit. He is by far the most interesting seal we have tracked to date. After his month long sojourn out to the pelagic realm he has been hanging out at his usual haunts, though he did do another interesting loop out into deeper waters off the west of Oahu. This track is his last week.

Second map is RIP. He is stuck pretty close to shore going between Rabbit Island and the entire south shore. However, he did have a random trip out to Penguin Bank. I am wondering if he may have been following someone out there.

The third map is one of our most recent taggings, Makaiwi. Unlike the boys, she has been very consistent and doesn't travel very far at all.

Last, just to change things up, is a map of one of the Molokai boys we are following. This is a map of his entire track, which is about 5 months in duration.

We are going to continue to put out tags over the coming months and now that a lot of our girls have pupped and will be molting we will start tagging more females.

Hope you are all well. Let me know if you have any questions.

iKermit

iRIP

iMaka'iwi

5 Months of Molokai iBoy

8/1/2010 DB Dailies

It was an off and on, rainy , windy day at Makai Pier, so observations, and photos were difficult. My first find was Kolohe at the right end at 0620. At 0850 I found what I thought was Kermit on the far left end, but alas, after a day of waiting to see the hind flippers, it turned out to be RIP. The cast was rounded out by Buster & Sam, who had a couple of swim/ play sessions, but Buster would ultimately haul out to join Kolohe, and Sam moved up into the Morning Glory at 1BS.

Colleen reported "her seal" , Rocky, at Diamond Head at 0930. She would be gone on Colleen's 1330 check.

Marilyn (Mrs. Whisperer) did the KP trek today, as did Team Kenyon. Both reported Ka'ena, T15M, M&M, 4DJ, Kiko and CeeCee at the end of the world.

This was D#33 for R5AY & Pup at Turtle Bay.

A DOCARE Incident began at 1513 with the arrival of 3 bad guys to 3BS on RI. They explored only as far as 2BS, and did not see any of the critters. They departed at 1533. Of course I made the DOCARE call, and found that the two responders available were both way to far away to arrive in time to bust the guys. I got the license number of their vehicle and DOCARE says there will be a follow up. I wish I could tell you that I have faith in that, but I have ZERO faith in that outcome.

RIP

Sam

Dirt Bags

8/1/2010 Mrs. Whisper hikes Kaena Point

CeeCee

Ka'ena

Kiko

M+M and 4DJ

T15M

Hawaiian Monk Seals as they should be .... relaxed and uninterupted.