11/7/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: (part 1)

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand, Melody and Lesley. Lesley's Ka'ena Update is part 2 of the dailies.

Team Billand was out this morning and was greeted with a big surprise. On a west side beach they arrived and there ropes already set up by the Lifeguards. They saw a small seal, with scars to the right of her head. The right fore flipper also had scars. Finally they got to see the tags! It was RH92 (who was just seen on an east side beach) there she was K22's pup and KP2's little sister.  Needless to say Team Billand was over the moon.  The scar on her head is from a cookie cutter shark, and the scars on her for flipper was from a dog attack on a Kauai Beach. This little girl has had quite a life so far.
Team Billand called it into the hot line.

Later in the afternoon Team Billand was walking another west side beach they almost missed the seal partially submerged in the water. They took a good look and was able to ID Pohaku RO28. They did not stay long as there were a lot of folks hanging around and they did not want to bring attention to her.

Before heading home they stopped at some of the usual hot spots and found RH48 Lei Ola hauled out on the rocks in one of her favorite spots. She was sleeping alone, between the rocks, looking healthy.

And finally a late email from Melody included some great photos of little RK88 looking pretty cute. The seals are pretty irresistible at this age..... not quite a yearling but thinning out all that baby fat.

RH92 Kauai Girl

Pohaku RO28

 Lei Ola RH48

RK88 Puna

11/7/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: (part 2) Lesley's Ka'ena Update

I love big seal days ! and today was one of them.

The day started off batting zero here in front and beaches around

First seal was R330 "Squinty" in a pond on the Runway out at the point.

RR70 RIP (100% molted) and RO40 "Ka'ena", VERY green and phat, were near the waterline down on Back Beach.

RR70 "RIP" entered the water and swam around to Main Pool were hauled out on to the center reef island. His coat looks funny full of little spots. Probably the new fur is still trying to grow around his dings & dangs.

On my way back in the early afternoon checking usual haul out spots I found RK88 "Puna" (M D.193) in the little PkgLot Cove.

RW02 "PVKauai" was freshly hauled out in front of the house on D4molt  at 40%

The best for last... after being MIA for a while RK40 "Napua" (F D.187) was hauled out further down the beach towards CE Pt. I turned her inside out and upside down, counted her digits, her vibrissae's, looked at her ears...NOT but I did take a good look at her and she beautiful as ever.    More tomorrow 

11/6/2018 Monk Seal Dailies: RH92, RH32, RH48, R1KT, U/J RW22, U/M, RN46, RK38, RH36?

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand, Marilyn, and a news link from Kauai sent to me by our posse pal Gayle.
Here's the link to information about RH92 who recently visited Oahu on the east side. What's cool about this, RH92 is Ho'Ailona's little sister :-)  too bad she didn't make her way over to Kaimana Beach.  https://kauaiseals.wordpress.com/2018/11/05/monk-seal-monday-37-rh92-on-the-move/

Team 'Billand found Ka'ale late this morning had one of his usual haul outs. He was alone snoozing with tags showing.  There were lots of people in the area so they didn't stay.  
Their next find was Lei Ola, on the rocks and facing the ocean. It was hard to get some good photos of her but easy to see her tags. She was alone resting peacefully.

In yesterday's news I got a text from a friend who was at some of the tidepools on the east side. They spotted a beautiful critter with a nice new coat and big scar on left upper shoulder.  I checked to verify and it is indeed R1KT.  

Since today was voting day and I hope you were all out there voting!  Marilyn had the day off, so she went to Rabbit Island and was not disappointed.  She initially spotted six seals and then a 7th seal hauling out by the 3BS.

At Left Point Beach there was a group of four seals, they moved around some, and RN46 Kea was responsible for pestering the other three.
Seal #1 - Unknown Juvenile: the smallest of the four seal and had a brownish coat. Marilyn was able to see it's gender or tags.  
Seal #2 - RW22 Kolohe: ID'd by large adult size, natural bleach behind RFF, male belly and old coat.
Seal #3 - U/M: male belly, newish coat and unable to see tags.
Seal #4 - RN46 Kea: ID'd by adult size, male belly, tags and natural bleaches on RFF and LFF. He moved around a lot and pestered the other three seals. He appears to have completed his molt.
Seal #5 - RK38 Hali'a: hauled out late afternoon near the 3BS. ID'd by weaner size and coloration, two tags. 
Seal #6 - R1KT was on the rocks near SRI: ID'd by subadult size, new coar, two tags and male belly, with ventral left side CC scar.
Seal #7 - Unknown was behind waterfront rocks at Rocky Right Beach. The seal was juvenile to sub-adult size and showed only it's right side. Marilyn might have seen an applied N6 on right mid side which would make this Kawena RH36. (could be seal #6 from yesterday)

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 Ka'ale RH32

 RH48 Lei Ola

R1KT visiting east side tidepools

RH 36 Kawena 

 RK38 Hali'a 

 Kea, U/M, Kolohe, & U/J 

 U/J

11/5/2018 Monk Seal Dailies:

Today's dailies are brought to you by Team Billand and Lesley.  I don't have much of a narrative from Team Billand, as they are still having technical computer issues. Having said that Barbara still managed on getting me some images.  
Lesley's Ka'ena update includes both yesterday and today (11/4 & 11/5).

Team Billand found two grand ladies today in the same area today.... a jackpot of sorts. There was Pohaku RO28, and RH58 Rocky. The two lovely ladies were resting peacefully. 
They found Kaale RH32 at one of his usual hangouts. And last but not least they found the beautiful little miss Lei Ola RH48.

Lesley's Update:

Yesterday RW02 "PVKauai" spent the day hauled out in front of the house - pre molting behavior as gone on for several days.

This morning I went down early and found him overnighted up high on the beach on the Naupaka line. Today is D1 of his molt less than 5%. his neck is full of small patches. When I came back from the Point he was galumphing back up from the waterline. This evening he was back in the Naupaka.

In the morning while checking on "PVKauai" I spotted a seal at CE Pt. Went over to check and found RN58 "Luana" - following her trails she also overnighted up near the Naupaka line.

Out at the point RO40 "Ka'ena" was hauled out at the entrance of his pool.

It was raining on and off from blessings to liquid sunshine to heavier rains in the late afternoon.  More tomorrow 

Pohaku RO28

 Rocky RH58

Ka'ale RH32

 Lei Ola RH48

 Luana

 RW02

11/4/2018 Monk Seal Dailies:

Today's dailies are brought to you by Mrs. Whisper who spent her day checking out the critters on Rabbit Island.  Marilyn also checked all the eastside hot spots but didn't find any seals.
In her own words:

I viewed Rabbit Island from about 10:40 am to 12:40 pm.

I saw six seals, only two for which I have IDs. Three seals were on Left Point Beach on the Waimanalo side of the 1BS. One seal (RW22) was near the 3BS. Seal 5 came up from SRI. Seal 6 was behind waterfront rocks on Rocky Right Beach.

Seal 1 - Unknown Weaner, female I believe.  I think I saw a small bleach on the left rear side which would make it RK37 (Sadie's pup). But I'm not sure, so UW

Seal 2 - Unknown Subadult (USA).  This seal only ever showed it's left side. It has a new coat and I believe there is a scar in front of the LFF. Could be R1KT. (usa???? - are the others from somewhere else? LOL :-) 

Seal 3 - RN46 Kea. ID'd by adult size, male belly and natural bleaches on both front flippers. He appears to be about 95% molted with one patch of fur left on his mid left side. I'm pretty sure this is my Seal 3 from yesterday that I reported as 95% molted.

Seal 4 - RW22 Kolohe, ID's by adult size, old coat, male belly, one tag, and I saw but did not get a photo of the natural bleach behind his RFF.  I don't see any more molting than I did yesterday.

Seal 5 - Unknown Male, subadult to adult, with newish coat.  My guess is RG32, but can't confirm that.

Seal 6 - did not see this seal initially. First became aware of the seal at 11:55 am.  The seal was far to the right on Rocky Right Beach mostly hidden behind the waterfront rocks.  I don't really even have a gauge on size.

I have been cropping my photos to make the seals bigger recently.  Today I just resized the photos so the seals will seem smaller.

NOAA please go to RI and bleach some seals.  YES !!! I second this request PLEASE!

Kea

 Kolohe 

 Seal #1 U/W 

 Seal #2  USA - okay now I know Unidentified Sub-Adult

 Seal #5

 Seal #6