Rarely seen in Hawaiian waters, is this dog monk

I have no idea who the mother is, but I have a pretty good idea who the father is. :o)

Dec 14, A-50 Next day pictures - Shark Cove

For a better perspective, now that it's day time, we went back to find A-50 still perched on the lava rock sleeping. Look at the distance we had to travel to get to him last night. Look directly between the two pole support cables. Then zoom in and you'll see him laying on top of the rock.















This is Camera Woman "Mama Marsha" getting close up during the daylight to see what we saw last night.














See where the transmitter was mounted on his back? That's an open wound that appears to be healing just fine. He doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned about it.













Click onto this picture then click one down and just to the right and you'll see how far down we had to hike to get to him.











He blends well. Something most wives will wish about their husbands.

Dec 13, 2009 A-50 at Sharks Cove

Here we have ourselves a surprise on the Reef. Looking down from above about 10-15 feet below us is A-50 from the Northern Hawaiian island chain tagged on the island of Nihoa earlier this year. He is an 11 month old pup.









I first got the call from NOAA around 6:15 or so. It was just getting dark. I was told that there was a monk that was tangled in a fishing line and that there was a transmitter laying next to it. Yeah right. A transmitter? NOAA rep didn't know what to make of this since there are no Monks in our area that have a transmitter on it. Hmmmmmm O well, get the camera and take off to Sharks Cove to find out what this is all about. Wahiawa HPD John L. was on the scene. Must be there really is a Monk there. I asked him if he had any idea where it was. He said he'll take me to it and insisted that there was a transmitter sitting by his flippers. After finding A-50, I called Jen M. another Monk volunteer. Quickly anticipation was building.



Looking through my camera in the dark at the Monk a number of feet down slope on a rocky ledge below we can see that there's probably just somebodys camera laying in a tide pool that the Monk just happened to be laying next to. But then I was asked my our lead supervisor David S., our MMRC (Marine Mammel Response Coordinator esq.) to make certain that the fishing line was not attached to the body in any way.







Sure enough, there is something that doesn't look like a camera all of a sudden. But what is it? O well, I gotta check the tangled line anyways to be certain A-50 is not tangled in it. So I politely asked A-50 to lift up his flippers so that I could get my job done.















He briefly looked back when I pulled out the string acknowledging that I was there, but didn't really care much.








Then he goes back to sleep. No big deal.








This is what's left of the chunk of flesh that was taken off the back of A-50. The rest of his skin was still stuck to the transmitter. He appeared to be healing just fine. The monk is really an remarkable creation. Can you imagine inching your way up a lava slope on your belly only to find a comfortable spot to sleep . . . in a bed of lava? My kinda guy.












Here is a picture of the transmitter and the yellow line that we found in the tide pool below his flippers.












Here is a picture of the back of the transmitter with the skin on it. It's a good thing that the transmitter didn't fall off in the ocean someplace never to be found again. Hopefully now NOAA can find some beneficial data here and learn how to get to the next level of this kind of monitoring.

Our Monk volunteer group (and I assume NOAA too) would like to offer a special thanks to Wahiawa HPD John L. because without his staying there, we never would have been able to find A-50, the transmitter and this story about a monk pup that has traveled some 462 miles so that he could sleep on one of our North Shore lava beds called Sharks Cove.

FYI: Although the tag on the right flipper reads A-51, NOAA names the seal after the tag on the left flipper which reads A-50. The reason? No reason, juss to keep us all guessing. . . . I guess.

More interesting information on this and other Monks can be found at: http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/DIR/dir_mammal_turtle_seabird.html#MonkSeals

Here is a picture of Nihoa: (I'm gonna try and get one to attach here, stand by)

Dec 5, Honey Girl at Chuns

She came back again. Almost at the same spot. She loves Chuns reef beach. And I bought a new camera today. From tomorrow, I'll B ready.

Dec 4, Honey Girl at Chuns

Honey girl chooses to spend her afternoon on the beach at Chuns Reef. She showed up about 10:30 this morning. Unfortunately, my camera has died so I got no pictures. But her tags were 5AY and 5AZ

11-25-09 Kaena Point Monks (2 of 'em)

We saw two monks, but the battery on our camera was dead by then. So we have Monk with a hair spray tatoo mark N-9 and two fin tags marked O-40 and the other fin had O-41.

I could only see one tag on the other one being W08. This monk appeared to be much smaller and was a light beige color.

DB logged in to offer:
Howzit Todd....... I just checked da' blog and saw that you met Ka'ena (N9 / RO40/41) and Kerby (RW08/09). Ka'ena is Irma's 3rd born, Oahu son, and Kerby is the 2nd Oahu son of Ewa Girl. Kerby was actually born on Rabbit Island but found his way to KP at only 5 months old. He made the trip again when he picked up a fish hook, at Ka'ena Pt and came all the way back to Rabbit Island, to get my attention so the hook could be removed. He then immediately beat flipper back to KP. Thanks for the info. DB

11-21 Monk at sunset Beach

There was a monk seal at Sunset Beach today. I hope somebody got pictures and an ID on it.

5AY at Laniakea 11-12-09

Honey Girl showed up again at Lanis' today. Had fun explaining and talking to the tourists about her history today.

10-20-09 Oopuola

Let's see if anybody calls in or takes pictures of the lady that lands at Sunset beach this morning at 9AM. I wonder who it will be?

5AY at Laniakea 10-16-9

Dang, if i could just wipe the sand off of the tag. grrrrr


Awwww come on, roll to the other side



There she is, finally a wave washed clean the tag. Here's honey girl thin and ready for another year of activity.

Lona at Sharks Cove 9-20-09

August 28, 2009 Right Spot gives birth

Tracy called at 1855 with grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat news !!!! Right Spot gave birth today..............on Molokai at KALAUPAPA !!! Thank Youuuuuuuuuuu Right Spot !!! DB

Two Monks at Chuns 8-11-09

Both monks came up at the same time at Chuns Reef today at 4:15p


The one on the right, according to "DB" is Lona or RO17. I believe that DB said She usually frequents Molokai.


Apparently that bleach spot on its right side is a bleached out cookie cutter bite.






I don't know which one this one is. I'll wait for a positive ID from those in the know. For now, all seem to suggest that this one is a male.

Right Spot at Pipeline 5-18-09

First I check the site and look for any markings, cause yep . . . it's the same little lady as yesterday.



So I wait and I wait and I wait. She would not turn over.



Then a wave comes and clips her rolling her over and whappo . . . she flips out her ID card.

Ehukai Beach on 5-17-09 Soooo who is it?

4 new pictures to help in the identity of this lady.






Here's the first set of shots





I couldn't wait any longer for this lady to roll over. Any body else got some suggestions? Is it Right Spot? I'm gonna double check that fin match up with other pictures. The jury is still out on this one.