I-37 / I-38-11 back at Kaiakas

I-37 - I-38 chooses 3Tables on Sunday 12-18-11

Although I-38 is known and referred to as I-37, there are 2 tags on each monk, one for each flipper. But this one seems to like showing off her I-38 tag.

Dec 14, I-38 returns to Kaiaka

Just off Pikai st. I-38 returns to the beach. I was already in the area when I saw I-38 so I didn't have my camera with me. She only was on the beach till about 1pm and then took off. I-38 doesn't do good around crowds and seems always jittery, so we try extra hard to keep people and other living things back.

Dec 7, 2011 I-38 at Kaiaka Beach

Sept 19, Chuns reef

Got a call today from Marlu O. about another monk at chuns reef. I tried my best to break away to get some photos, but couldn't make it happen. Honey Girl R5AY loves Marlu's property better than any other, so I'll check again tomorrow to see if she comes back.

R5AY Honey Girl - 7-28-11

It is with great joy that I am able to announce that approximately 3:15pm this afternoon one of our very special North Shore Mom's birthed a brand new pup at her favorite location at Turtle Bay.

Yes, deja vu, at the Keiki pool. Many people called, many showed up to help, and all of us were truly awed by this beautiful new pup and dedicated Mother.

Barbara will be sharing some beautiful photos. Our visiting NOAA VIP, Michele Bane, was there to help haul equipment and utilize the "response" truck to get gear and fencing out to the site.

Many thanks to the Turners for showing up to ID the birthing Mother and Jeannie Martinson for getting there quickly to assess and report. What a great afternoon for Monk Seals. Mom and Pup at the airport are doing fine too. Will include those photos after this goes out. This is also the first pup that received a blessing in it's first couple of hours of birth. Many thanks. Donna will have more information on that truly special moment to share.

NOW, down to business, I have attached a very rough and hurriedly put together calendar to sign up for shifts to watch after this new baby. I will tweak in the next few days. For now please bear with me and get your name on here to help out these first few days, at least until we can get a long term schedule established.

Congratulations Ohau and R5AY on this new addition to our Monk Seal Ohana.

Post by Dana J.

Another post -
Aloha Volunteers,
Just a small tweak on the calendar, there will be more. I have also enclosed a dashboard ID. There is no longer a guard at Turtle Bay, but parking in the back parking lot is still the best way to access the hike to the site.

Thank you to all the volunteers that have signed up so far. It really is great to see everyone jump into this wonderful moment the way you have.

Please continue to sign up. Help is needed and the next few weeks are crucial to this pup and Mom's peace of mind.

The time slots are first come first serve, but I will try to accommodate as much as possible on meeting volunteers' needs and schedules.

Long terms sign ups do get priority and are the most important slots to fill, so please start looking at your schedule. Of course, ANY help at all is always welcome and we are all looking forward to this most blessed event over the next few weeks.

Mahalo nui loa for all your help and quick responses.

Dana J.

June 11 post from Kelly girl

Howzit!

After finishing up my Ocean Awareness volunteer training at Sharks Cove with Malama-Pupukea, I then began my adventure heading out to High Rock. It's a long ride in and I arrived close to the refuge at approximately 1240. A little sign attached to this old post was flapping in the wind and caught my eye. It was a really cool seal sign, maybe an old one?
I felt obligated to fix the sign as it was ready to fly into the wind. I was lucky enough to be able to jury rig it with tie wraps that I had carried in my backpack. I then scanned the beaches towards the refuge side of High Rock with no sightings of the seal with the hook. I did not cross this point towards the refuge only to fix the sign. I then headed towards High Rock putting out vibrations to Ua Malie in hopes she would be there this time!
It was pretty windy with stormy waters and rain approaching. It was a bit of a trek to reach High Rock pushing the seal mobile thru some deep sand. And low and behold when I reached the top of the hill....Bingo on first look guess who I found, Ua Malie! I have searched for her numerous times at that location with no luck. Just stories from fisherman and locals of when she was there or that I had just missed her.
As far away as I was from her, she still knew I was there! Lifting her head sniffng into the air. I could just sense her thinking, oh no human approaching! I was at least 150 ft away if not more and hiding low in the rocky brush but she knew I was there.
Ua Malie gave her famous tail flip shot for the camera. I did not want to get any closer to zero in on the tag but I did see with the binoculars the T11 tag. She looks so green, but very happy and peaceful with nobody there bother her. In one of the pictures I took, I was wondering if her nose looked normal?
It was the first time I was out there when there was nobody there. Last time so many campers and fisherman. There was only two very, very, drunk local guys in a white truck Bobo and Sage who had seen Ua Maile before. Talking to them was a trip in itself....I talked story with them for while had a few good laughs and left them a seal card with number to call if they see her again.
On a lower tide Ua Malie has been known to be in the pool below her in the picture. It's a bit of a climb up to where she is from the water. Usually the flat reef is exposed between High Rock and the pool where she is in the picture. She has been known to be in the flats playing around, according to Gani a fisherman I had spoke with before.
Ua Malie looked so peaceful. As she rolled over I was thinking "Now that's the Ua Malie that I know" in all her cuteness, just adorable! Will her transmitter patch mark ever go away?
I decided to leave Ua Malie and go in search of the hooked seal just incase it too might be hiding in the crevasses towards Kahuku Point. Other pictures attached are views looking back towards the Refuge at the other beaches Ua Malie had been spotted at. There is plenty marine debris on those beaches. I will make and effort to collect a few bags each time I go out there.
Well, no hooked seal to be found and one more look at Ua Malie before I head out. It was hard to leave her but there came the rain. She was so worth getting soaked for! It was totally raining and Ua Malie was still snoozing and I'm was soaked! I heading out at 1445.
The seal mobile does it again! And of course the purple hiking boots!

Another great sealing day in paradise,
aloha for now kelly girl:)
Pictures:
1) My adventure began at aprox 1240 head out to High Rock











2) I arrived close to the refuge and saw this little seal sign flapping in the wind.











3) I felt obligated to fix the sign and was lucky enough to be able to jury rig it with tie wraps.










4) I scanned the beaches towards the refuge side.











5) More scanning of beaches on the Refuge side of High Rock











6) I did not cross this point towards the refuge only to fix the sign.











7) Heading towards High Rock putting out vibrations to Ua Malie in hopes she would be there this time!











8) I was pretty wind stormy waters with rain approaching.











9) A bit of a trek to go to reach High Rock pushing the seal mobile thru some deep sand.











10) Bingo on first look guess who I found.11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock











11) As far away as I was she still knew I was there! I hated that she was aware that I was there. But better for her to sense someone approaching.












12) I was atleast 150 ft away and hide low in the rocky brush but she knew I was there.












13) I know your not going to be able to read this tag but I did not want to get any closer. I know it is Ua Malie.












14) Looking back towards the Refuge at the other beaches Ua Malie had been spotted at. Plenty marine debris.












15) Tail shot! Still not close enough for a good read! 11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock












16) Ua Malie at High Rock 11JUN2011












17) No matter how hard I tried to hide she knew ai was there. 11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock












18) She looks so green but very happy and peaceful with nobody to bother her. 11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock













19) On a more lower tide she has been know to be in the pool below. It's a bit of a climb to up where she is from the water.











20) Usually the flat reef is exposed and drier between Ua Malie and High Rock. She has been know to be in the flats.












21) Peaceful 11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock












22) Now that's the Ua Malie that I know. 11JUN2011
23) Just adorable. It's hard to leave but here comes the rain. 11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock
24) Too Cute! 11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock
25) Her transmitter patch. Will that ever go away.
26) 11JUN2011 Ua Malie at High Rock
27) Does her nose look normal.
28) More Ua Malie at High Rock
29) and more Ua Malie at High Rock
30) Leaving Ua Malie to search the rest of the area in hopes of finding the seal with the hook.
31) One more look before I head out. It totaly raining and I'm soaked!
32) The seal mobile does it again! And of course the purple hiking boots!

Notice from HMSRTO

Aloha Volunteers,

David and team are on hold and stand by to rescue a hooked seal that is hanging out in the Kahuku Golf Course area. The animal was spotted today, the team geared up and arrived at the spot. As David and team were pulling in, Pat Cantere and Jeannie Martinson watched in dismay as the seal departed the beach. It was a huge bummer for everyone.

We are not sure if this seal is Cee Cee or not. If it is, the animal has been hooked for over two weeks now and needs our help. Cee Cee is ID'd by a noticable spot on top of her head and of course a very large hook in her mouth. Left side. At one time she had a N13 bleach mark. She also has Two partial cc scars on her right side.

Please please, we need posse searchers and spotters to try to find this animal. Dr. Charles and David are both ready to go and have equipment to get there as fast as possible.


FOLKS, we need photos and super accurate descriptions of the hook, the side of the mouth where the hook is and good directions if you run across this animal. It truly needs our help and we need your eyes out there trying to find it. Remember, binoculars and cameras for ID purposes is crucial.

Thank you for your help and please call me with any findings.

5-30-11 BackYards by Sunset Beach

These photos were turned in by Jeff D. taken from his cell phone, so because they weren't taken from a camera where I could download the chip, the shots will not be able to blow up for a closer inspection. According to Jeff, there was no scars or white marking on the right side of this guy.

5-4-11 But don't know where

Somewhere out here on the North Shore, this picture was taken of two monks together. I'm waiting for the return call to post where these two were. As soon as I find out, I'll edit the post. Judging from the sand and water conditions, my guess it's at Sunset Beach. The picture was taken by Tory W.

April 13, 2011 N-29 Visits Chuns Reef

Got a call from my good friend who watches closely the Monks that come up on Chuns Reef. Here was the call I got from Marlu O. There were some problems with the sighting of N-29 whose nickname is R137 (go figure) because of some young kids who were very rude and irritating to both Marlu and N-29. I'm waiting for Marlu to write her full report before I put in print heresay. Hopefully, I'll get her full report soon.

4-7-11 Eel for Breakfast fronting the Condos

Could this be HoneyGirl?





Here she comes right outside our reef getting ready to perform.












Here we have some unknown back marks that maybe someone out there could aid to identify. I'm looking at the other photos to see if there were any other pics that could be used to identify this lady. See the next picture









Here in this picture, if you look closely or expand the picture, you can see an orange tag on her tail. This eliminates a number of monks that frequent our area as only a few have tags left. Judging from who's been seen in our area, my guess is that this is 5AY or Honeygirl.









Here comes somebody like a torpedo heading into the reef looking for breakfast.









Here is the catch. Try zoom in on the picture. Amazing

3-31-11 5AY on Chuns Reef

Here's Honey Girl laying at the tides edge at Chuns Reef fronting the life guard towers.








Click onto the picture to see the 5AY ID-tag of Honey Girl. She had come up on the beach before 9am when Fred the life guard called it in.

3-8-11 KC at Alii's

KC has always known just where to lay on the beach right at the endge of the high water line. And this picture proves it.




KC also burries his head under the sand to "get away from it all. here he just came up for a breatherl