Ka'ena Point Report

Joanna Tabor put in what sounded like a truly nightmare day at Ka'ena Point, amongst the out of control hordes. Though she paid a heavy price in having to deal with the mob, she has provided photos of the KP cast composed of Kerby, Ka'ena, RI37, and 2AU.

2AU

Ka'ena & R137

Kerby

DB Post Monday 2/23/2009

After yesterday's marathon day, today was a piece of cake. I had a Rabbit Island cast of RIP and Buster at the left end, and Kolohe and RB08 at the right end . The sum total of the excitement was moving up and down with the tide.

The Billands reported an animal at Makaha Beach. I am awaiting photos for an ID.

Tracy called at 1020 to report that the "wild child" young female, RO42 had finally been captured on Lanai, and the process of translocating her to MCBH was beginning.

Sorry DB but the photo of Rip & Buster did not down load.

DB Post Sunday 2/22/2009

Rabbit Island occupied very little of my day today, but I did manage to check it in the afternoon. The RI cast was RIP, Sadie and R301, all at the left end of the island.

The bulk of the day was spent with Rocky, who decided that hauling out at Hilton Hawaiian Village pier was a good idea. Actually, she was on the Fort Derussy side of the Hilton pier walkway. According to witnesses she hauled out between 0600 and 0630. I got the call from David Schofield at 0820, and the cordon was up by 0852. The Fort Derussy lifeguards and the staff of Atlantis Submarine Tours were of great help in dealing with the hordes. Sub tour operations continued with the staff escorting the tourists past Rocky and not allowing anyone stop on the walkway. The Johnsons, the Maldonados,along with Barbara and Don are all to be commended for performing at their usual above and beyond levels. We got back to Rocky's site at 1700, and Rocky FINALLY decided to depart at 2001. We picked up the stuff and called it a day at 2030.

My wife and I had just departed the Hilton site at 1240 when Tracy called with the report of an animal at Kewalo Basin at the John Dominus restaurant. When we arrived at 1308 we found Rosie (RO30) tucked onto Rosie sized rocks directly below the upper dining room of the restaurant. She was basically inaccessible, so I got ID shots and departed. Nobody was going to get to her. John Dominus personnel called to advise that Rosie departed at 1900.

Team Billand reported Kermit at the Wind Sock, Kalaeloa Beach, and Irma along with M&M at Campbell Industrial Park.

DB Post Saturday 2/21/2009

Rabbit Island proved to be a tad busier than the last few days. Buster had the left end all to himself, and for a while there Sadie and R301 were cruisin' and snoozin' quietly at the right end near 3BS. Quietly that is until RIP came on the scene at 1052. He and R301 immediately began sparring, resulting in RIP getting the preferred location, tucked in close to the lovely Sadie, while R301 was moved off to the wings, 15 ft to the side. Once all that was sorted out, there was no further interaction.

Team Billand had a typical day, first reporting Kermit at the Wind Sock, Kalaeloa Beach, and then Benny at the Palm Grove, Campbell Industrial Park. While there Barbara saw another animal hauling out further down the beach near the Feed Lot, and huffed and puffed down there, fully expecting to see M&M, but Tadaaaa !.... it turned out to be Irma instead !

Tracy called to let me know that she had been getting multiple calls about an animal swimming off shore , ranging from LG stand 2F to 2D in Waikiki. The animal never hauled out, but my Monachus gene is whispering to be to put a dollar on Rocky in the pool. She may well be coming back from her latest SW quadrant adventure. This is classic Rocky behavior and it will be interesting to see if the Diamond Head posse has Rocky in their backyard tomorrow. We shall see. Aloha, DB

Buster

RIP, Sadie & R301

RIP, Sadie & R301

RIP, Sadie & R301

DB Post Friday 2/20/2009

It's always a good day when the girlz are on Rabbit Island, and even better when they hangout together. Sadie and RB08 spent the day at the left end of the island, and were inseparable all day. Meanwhile R301 was all by himself at the right end of the beach at 3BS. He started out up in the Morning Glory, but moved down mid day to cool off.

Team Billand found Irma at White Plains, Kermit near the "Fire Surf School" at the Kalaeloa Campgrounds, and M&M at Campbell Industrial Park.

R301

RB08 & Sadie

RB08 & Sadie

DB Post Thursday 2/19/2009

RB08 had Rabbit Island all to herself today, hauling out at 1130, and spending the rest of the day snoozin' at the left end of the beach.

Team Billand had yet another routine Billand kinda' day, finding Benny at Maili (1126), M&M at Campbell Industrial Park (1203), Irma at the Wind Sock, Kalaeloa Beach (1245), and Kermit on the west side of the Nimitz Beach jetty (1255). Aloha, DB

Benny

Irma

Kermit

M&M

RB08

DB Post Wednesday 2/18/2009

On my 2nd Rabbit Island check, from MP, I found R301 cruisin' on the water front rocks, 30 ft right of 3BS. He would remain there all day.

At 1008 Kololhe hauled out fronting 3BS, and proceeded to galump up and into the Morning Glory, where he was invisible for a time, but later moved to a less dense location where I could get glimpse of him. He remained there all day.

Team Billand's day was a bit less wild than yesterday. They reported Irma at White Plains at 0920, and Kermit by himself at the Nimitz Beach jetty at 0953. Late in the day they reported M&M , alone, at Campbell Industrial Park

Kolohe

r301

Irma

Kermit

M&M

DB Post Tuesday 2/17/2009

It's been an exciting , thrill packed day in the Monk Seal world on Oahu today ! Trouble is I'm not having that day !! I am , however, getting to listen to Team Billand going absolutely nutz on the SW and W sides, with animals everywhere. They reported 2AW at Tracks (Kahe Power Plant) at 1045, then at 1114 found Irma at White Plains. Next came a real coup, finding Rocky and Kermit together on the reef on the west side of the Nimitz Beach jetty, at 1139. As if that weren't enough they called again at 1306 to report that Benny and M&M were together at the Palm Grove, Campbell Industrial Park. They wanted to stay longer but had to respond to a Tracy call about an animal at Makaha Beach. At 1440 they reported a newly molted male animal that was a possible Yoda. Photos recieved at end of day says Yoda.

Meanwhile RIP, R301 and myself were sharing another (ho-hum) Rabbit Island day

2AW

Benny & M&M

Irma

Rocky & Kermit

Yoda

A molted Yoda

DB Post 2/16/2009 Part 2 Billand's Adventure

Irma

Kermit

M&M

DB Post Monday 2/16/2009

I was batting zero until I got back to Makai Pier for my second Rabbit Island check at 0914. I found R301 at 3BS.

At 0952 RIP hauled out to join R301 at 3BS. There was brief interaction, and then both settled down to a day of snoozin' . They were both still there at the end of the day.

My wife, Marilyn, undertook the Ka'ena Point trek today, and was rewarded with 2AU and Ka'ena at the end of the world. Email I recieved today, from Joanna Tabor, who did the trek yesterday, showed the same two animals.

Team Billand had another busy day, reporting M&M at Campbell Industrial Park, Kermit at Nimitz Beach, and to my happy surprise, Irma at White Plains. Obviously, her short journey to the SE quadrant has ended. She stopped at Waikiki on 2-5, and then from 2-6 thru 2-13 was out here in the SE quadrant with Sandys and Irma's haul outs, and getting her new N3 bleach. This was the 3rd day that I hadn' found her, so I thought something might be up. Sure enough she has left civilization and returned to the outback. Aloha, DB

Ka'ena & 2AU

Ka'ena & 2AU

Ka'ena Point

RIP & R301

One of the Many Reasons I Love this Blog.

Aloha Good People!
I received an email this morning from a woman who visited Oahu back in April of 2007. Apparently while visiting the North Shore just west of Turtle Bay she saw and photographed this monk seal. I will leave the identification up to the experts but my guess in R5AY (???) This one is looking pretty large hmmm April is it safe to assume its a SHE and she is pregnant? Also if I had to guess looks pretty close to Hoku's birthplace... in my humble opinion.

Okay Seal Whisper do your magic - (Hopefully the photos show some clear markings, no sign or mention of tags) ~donna~

DB Post Sunday 2/15/2009

It was beginning to look like it would be another one of "them" days, but finally at 1211 , Kolohe hauled out to 3BS on Rabbit Island. He would be the only RI resident today, and as well as the only observed SE quadrant animal.

Team Billand called at 1355 to report 2AW at Kalaeloa Campgrounds, and called again at 1445 to report that Ewa Girl and M&M where once again at Palm Grove , Campbell Industrial Park. Aloha, DB

Kolohe

Kolohe
2AW

Ewa Girl & M&M