4-4-9 Kaena Pt. Excursion

I had a rare chance to eat breakfast with three unique individuals this morning. One is our leader Bud Antonellas 35 years with NOAA now serving as NOAA Director, and two Monk researchers from the Greek agency visiting our islands. The Greek equivalent for NOAA = MOM which stands for "?" It is the Helenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal lead by Dr. Spyros Kotomatas. His web-site is www.mom.gr. or when I click onto this name, I find, http://www.mom.gr/homepage.asp?ITMID=101 The only problem with this page is that it's written in Greek. Maybe I can find an English version of it. With him was his camera man VanGasil ? (didn't get Van's last name). They are here in Hawaii to study our monk seals which are a kin to the Greek monk seals. After we ate breakfast at Haleiwa Cafe' we took off to Kaena Point to photo any seals we could find. We also found some Albatros and their nesting caves.




We found two monks out at Kaena Point today. This one had two tags on his flippers. The one tag appeard to say 041. But we'll wait for DB to make a clear identification of this one. Howzit there Hana, Ya' Done Good..............again ! The two finds from your KP trek are both regulars at the end of the world. You saw the right hind flipper tags on both animals, so you ID'd them as RO41, and (the "T" was actually and "I") on RI38. Since critters are identified by their left hind flipper tags, these animals are known as RO40, and RI37.

Firstly, RO40 is my 3rd born son out of Irma (R010). He was born at Ka'ena Point on or about 7-6-06. He has not been sighted at any place other than Ka'ena Point yet.






Here 041 just wants to do a little head dip. Here he want to make sure we're all watching him and then . . .



Aaaaaah yes, Head dip feels so good.



"You still watching me?"










"I don't know how anything could be more comfortable than this!"







This second monk had a tag which appears to read T38. Again we'll let DB make the identification. DB writes: RI37 is a female, born at Moloaa, Kauai, 5-1-05. She was mistagged at weaning with and "I" cohort tag, though she is really a "V" cohort, so she is actually a year younger than her tags would suggest. Since you were the first on scene at the sight of R5AY (Honey Girl) and pup (Hoku) last year, you will be especially interested to know that RI37 is the first known pup of R5AY.

I first became aware of RI37 from her sightings on Molokai, but she has been over here on Oahu since 2-22-09. All Oahu sightings have been at Ka'ena Point. Mahalo, DB








Here as we were leaving, we saw the Albatros sanctuary.




Here are their birthing caves.







And here is the Albatros in flight as we were leaving. This guy has a minimum 4' wing span. They're huge bids.