02/26/2022 (PART 2) Molokai Two Day Update from Team T&D

Team T&D have been hitting the seal jackpot on Molokai. On Friday they documented ten seals. And Saturday they only found two.  Another way to look at it, 12 seals in a weekend, not bad.

They started with the beach close to where they were staying and found two seals. RL04, female who interestingly they met in 2016 at Ka'ena Point. The other is RKB2.

The rest of their day was hiking with a friend looking for seals. They found L6 hidden in the rocks, he always looks like he's smiling. 

Next they watched two seals playing in a tide pool. It was RK94 a male, and RL64 female. The two were playing together for quite awhile. When they were on their way back the two were still there playing in the water.  

Another find was RL38 alone sleeping peacefully on the beach. They were told she is an elusive seal so they were really lucky to see her.

Further down on the beach they found 6FI Noa! And thanks to a shinny white belly they found L3 hidden in some rocks. 

A little further down they found L4 Kepuhinui. 

Lastly a second check of one of the beaches on their way back they found RL80.  Many thanks to Team T&D for sharing and their friend for the hikes and IDs.

Saturday's find was RL04 relaxing on the beach alone. The other seal on a different beach was RKB2. Team T&D saw both these critters on Friday.

L3

L4

L6

R6FI Noa

RK94 and RL64

RL38

RL80

RKB2

RL04

02/26/2020 (PART 3) Lesley's Weekly+ Ka'ena Update

 

Aloha all,   

The past 2 weeks have been extremely busy with many non-planned events throwing aside my plans to get my reports for the blog back to daily.

Our cast of seals have been:

RL74 Kami, RL98 Lina, R3CU came by for 2 days (!), RJ40 'E'ena, R303 BG, RN58 Luana, RO40 Ka'ena and special guests and longtime no show RG40 Holokai and RH48 Lei Ola

.Needless to repeat that this whale season has been spectacular, with breaches, tails slaps, pectoral slaps and several competition pods. The calves are so fun to watch. Once they start breaching, they don't stop. Our friend Lorin used to call them "Gherkins" (small pickle). I adopted the nickname and make visitors laugh everytime I say it.

Unfortunately this "El Nina" year has been  bad for or LAAL chicks. We lost many to the heat, some were lost during hatching, parents have to go further north to get food, chicks have been left alone for longer periods at vey young age. But the ones we have are fighters and are looking healthy and growing fast.

The BFAL have been seen daily, but mostly fluing around now. This week the frequent visitor was "our" male V541.  More soon - Be Safe

02/25/2022 Friday's Dailies

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

Marilyn viewed Rabbit Island from 12:30 to 2:10 and there was only one seal on island.

It was just about an hour before Marilyn saw a rear flipper flex. The seal was hidden behind waterfront rocks near 3BS. The seal was almost entirely hidden behind the rocks and she had nothing to go on.

The unknown/unknown was probably subadult size and that is all Marilyn got.

Team R&B started their morning meeting up with a little girl they had talked to the other day with her

dad. The gave her a seal decal and she was so happy.  As she was enjoying her decal, Team R&B noticed a seal coming around the rocks.

They pointed out to the little girl and her dad, and got to see the seal haul out.  It wasn't just any seal but Mr. Kekoa Alii RK72 who is a big boy. He landed mid beach, looking over at all the people looking back at him.  Team R&B got the signs up and RK72 settled.

Posse pal Amy came to take over.  Team R&B said goodbye to the little girl, her stuffed Rabbit and Dad.

Next stop they spotted a seal. They had to take some time to study the seal on the rocks. It was Lefty RG28 on his own today.

At another west side location the waves were huge crashing over the rocks and filling the area looking like snow.  On a big rock was RW02 PvKauai. He had a good spot and managed to stay there the entire visit.

On lower rocks were RN14 Kalani with RL08.  And inland snoozing alone was Pe'ekai RP84, in between rocks. He was nice and safe from the crashing waves.

Wave after wave came in so strong it knocked RL08 and RN14 around. They swam their flippers off to

upper rocks and got washed off again and again.  

RW02 was fine on his big rock, but RN14 went over to him and they touched nosed. RW02 dove slowly into the water, and then took off.

RL08 fought hard to stay on the rocks, tried to climb up on the rocks, but he gave up and left the site.

Team R&B noted he has a bump on his rump, little bigger than a golf ball. It's not an open wound or bleeding just there.

Rabbit Island

Kekoa Alii

RW02

RW02 & RN14 Kalani

RP84 

Lefty

RL08 & RN14

RL08 

RN14

RL08 and Kalani getting washed around by the waves