DB Post March 13th Thursday

KC@Irma's, 4DJ & Kermit@ White Plains, and Irma@ Kalaeloa Campgrounds, et.al., 3-13-08

Rabbit Island had a bumper crop today. RIP, Mojo, Temp 403, Sadie and RB08. At 0656 I found an adult female named KC waiting for me on the beach at Irma's, in line with the Kealahou traffic light. She was there all day, departing this evening at 1859.

On a SW quadrant run, I found 4DJ (T21M) on the Ewa Beach side of the left perimeter fence at White Plains. I'd last seen him at Ewa Beach on 3-4-08. While I was standing there with him, Kermit hauled out to White Plains , just left of the lifeguard stand.

I'd found Irma earlier in the morning at the Kalaeloa Campgrounds at "Al's Bench".

Barbara Billand called this morning to advise that they had responded to Makaha Beach, and had found R018.

A call from Shawn at 1638 advised of an animal at Diamond Head. Posse member Rachel put up signs and said she thought it was Rocky. Aloha, DB

Our friend Ms. Yaindl - Gives us the good news

Great News. Water, Land, Ocean Resources, and Hawaiian Affairs advanced both bills today! From the legisaltive web site:
SB2465 – Annual Day
The committees on WLH recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Ito, Karamatsu, Morita, Sagum, Thielen; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Carroll, Magaoay, Saiki.
SB2464 – Mammal
The committees on WLH recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Ito, Karamatsu, Morita, Sagum, Thielen; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Carroll, Magaoay, Saiki.

Next on to the House floor for a second reading. Once it passes, we then barrage w/ wmail, fax, phone, drop-in's, appeals to House Toursim and Culture to raise the bill for hearing.
Thanks everyone. Please be sure to check out the legislative web site and read all the testimony, as well as the committee reports. It may take 2-3 days for this info to get posted.
Thank you everyone! aloha, Georgette

DB Post Wednesday March 12th

Sadie @Blowhole, Kermit@Kalaeloa, Irma@White Plains, et.al., 3-12-08

The Rabbit Island cast was RIP, Buster and Temp 403. I found my 10 month old girl doing 6 minute dives at Blowhole Lookout, on the morning check, and she was still there at the end of the day at 1525, and still doing 6 minute dives.

Brenda Sparks and family were once again on it today, calling with reports of Kermit at Kalaeloa Beach, just past the campgrounds, and Irma at White Plains. Unfortunately, they had to deal with a guy at Irma's site, that moved from his spot on the beach only grudgingly, when Irma hauled out near him. There ALWAYS has to be one that doesn't get it ! Aloha, DB

DB Post Tuesday March 11th

Kermit@White Plains, RIP@Spitting Cave, et.al., 3-11-08

No photos today, but the cast was Mojo, Temp403, RB08, and RIP at Rabbit Island, Kermit at White Plains, and RIP for a while at least, at Spitting Cave.

Aloha, DB

DB Post March 10th Monday

Kermit@ White Plains, Temp406 & Irma@ Kalaeloa Campground, Rocky@Spitting Cave, et.al., 3-10-08
The Rabbit Island cast was Temp 403, Mojo, and Buster, and Rocky was doing 10 minute dives at Spitting Cave. The Sparks were on it right from the start of the day. Brenda called with reports of Kermit and White Plains, and Temp 406, and Irma at Kalaeloa Campgrounds. Aloha, DB

DB Post Sunday March 9th

Kermit@ White Plains, Temp406 & Irma@ Kalaeloa Campground, Rocky@Spitting Cave, et.al., 3-10-08

The Rabbit Island cast was Temp 403, Mojo, and Buster, and Rocky was doing 10 minute dives at Spitting Cave. The Sparks were on it right from the start of the day. Brenda called with reports of Kermit and White Plains, and Temp 406, and Irma at Kalaeloa Campgrounds. Aloha, DB

DB Post Saturday March 8th

The Billands, and the Sparks reported and confirmed Kermit at White Plains, and Irma at Kalaeloa Campgrounds.

The Rabbit Island cast was RB08, and RIP.

It was a stressful day at Spitting Cave, with the Hoku #2 laying surround net close in, with Rocky and Temp 403 swimming in, under, over, and around the net for 2 hours. DOCARE repsponded as they were picking up the net. There is apparently no law against what they were doing, but it was the longest two hours of my life. Nets, of any kind are a crime against every man, woman and monk seal in this state. Aloha, DB

DB Post March 7th Friday

Kermit & Irma@ White Plains, et.al., 3-7-08
The Rabbit Island crew was Sadie and Temp 403 today. On a call to the White Plains lifeguards , they reported Kermit on the main beach, near the lifeguard stand, and the morning quad patrol had reported "N2" (Ewa Girl), just beyond the perimeter fence at Kalaeloa Campgrounds. That was worth a trip, so I made the run. I found Kermit near the lifeguard stand, and while I was checking him I saw another animal just hauling out in front of the cottages. When I got down there with the lifeguards, I found Irma , fronting #1707.

After getting her cordoned off, I walked the beach down to the campgrounds, but found nobody. When I questioned the lifeguard who had actually seen the animal, it became apparent that he had, in fact, seen Irma (N3), in exactly the same location she'd been seen yesterday. Aloha, DB

DB Post March 6th, Thursday

Rocky@ Toilet Bowl, Irma@ Kalaeloa, Benny@ White Plains, R018@ Makaka, et.al., 3-6-08

The day began with what would prove to be Temp403 hauling out on Rabbit Island. As the day progressed he would be joined by Sadie, RB08 and RIP.

A call from Martha , at Hanauma Bay at 1035, reported an animal at Toilet Bowl. When I got down there at 1100, I found Rocky.

White Plains lifeguards reported Irma (N3) at the Kalaeloa Campgrounds, and another small, fat, green animal fronting one of the cottages.

The Billands, who are worth MANY times their weights in Manapua, undertook to check the animals, and confirmed Irma, and as confirmed that the cottage animal was Benny. They had also gone to Makaha today, and found R018 there. Photos of there exploits will follow tomorrow. Aloha, DB

DB Post March 5th Wednesday

RIP@ Spitting Cave , Kermit@ White Plains, et.al., 3-5-08
The Rabbit Island mob was Mojo, Buster, Sadie and RIP. RIP made an earlier appearance at Spitting Cave this morning. White Plains Lifeguards reported Kermit near the perimeter fence, and "a skinny, green" animal at the Kalaeloa campgrounds. Barbara Billand was able to confirm Kermit, but the green one was gone. My guess is that it was Temp 406 (Tiny Tim), but that is only a guess. Aloha, DB

Kermit at White Plains without his skinny green friend.

DB Post Tuesday March 4th

Irma @ Diamond Head, 4DJ (T21M)@ EB, et.al., 3-4-08
The Rabbit Island crew was Buster, Temp 403, and Benny. Colleen Heyer called to report Irma at Diamond Head near the "grafitti bunker" . She got her cordoned off. Thank you........very much.

Colleen was not the only hero of the day. Mary Jay called at 0945 to report that she and Mary Frances had an animal on the beach at Onelua Place, in Ewa Beach. Mary Frances offered some interesting possibilites as to the ID. When I arrived at 1112, I confirmed that it was 4DJ (T21M), an adult male. His major marker is a very noticable natural bleach spot on his forehead, above the right eye. He also has the nub of an old brown tag on his right hind flipper, but it just a small piece and very difficult to see. He appeared to be newly molted. Records show that he molts around January.

4DJ was first observed in 1987 on Laysan. He was already an adult, so he is a minimum of 26 y.o. . He was one of the translocatees in 1994, and was taken to Molokai. His first Oahu sighting was 3-4- 2004, in Ewa Beach. I first encountered him at Sandy Beach on 3-28-04, and then on 11-18/19-2004 at the west end of Hanauma Bay.

He got his N8 bleach on 2-9-06. He was sighted back on Molokai , 7-5-06, and was see from March through June of 2007 at Diamond Head (in front of Colleen's house), Ewa Beach, Iroquois Point, Ka'ena Pt. , Maili , and Paradise Cove. The Ka'ena Pt sighting by Karen Harris on 6-24-07 , was the last time he was seen , until today. Aloha, DB

DB Post Monday March 3rd

Irma@ Spitting Cave, et.al., 3-3-08

The Rabbit Island cast was Buster, Temp 403, and M&M. Irma spent the day feeding at Spitting Cave. Aloha, DB

DB Post March 2nd Sunday

Irma@ Sandy Beach, RIP, Buster & Temp 403@ Spitting Cave, et.al., 3-2-08




The 10 month old girls, Sadie and RB08 were both at Rabbit lsland today, along with RIP, Benny and M&M. In the morning RIP had also been at Spitting Cave with Buster and Temp 403. I found Irma waiting for me at 0730, at the east end of Sandy Beach. She stayed until 1830 this evening. Aloha, DB

Profile R010 Irma

Profile R012 Kermit

Profile R013, RK15 Chester

Profile R016 RSF

Profile R017 Lona