Field Report: April 2021

Update: The Kauai team logged 155 seal sightings this month. This included 31 individually identified seals.

• April 155
• March: 137
• February: 119
• January: 125
• December: 119
• November: 133
• October: 152
• September: 152
• August: 198
• July: 120
• June: 81
• May: 147
• April: 117

New:

• Flipper tagged a new yearling seal likely from Niihau. New ID is R2XW. 
  
• Flipper tagged 2020 pup PK1 as RM36. 
  
• RB00 pupped on north shore beach. Pup KP1 is thriving.
  
• 3-year-old male R1NI washed ashore dead at west side. Carcass was fresh code 2, collected and frozen on Kauai, then shipped to Oahu for necropsy. 
  
• Return of visitors with Kauai entering Safe Travels Program causing increased disturbance to seals at Poipu. More signs put at racks at Poipu beach park to manage SRA without ropes and volunteers deployed.
  

Updates:

• Subadult male seal RK58 was returned from KKO after 6 weeks of rehab and released at on March 26. He was treated at KKO for likely dog attack injuries that resulted in significant weight loss and infected puncture wounds.
  
• Due to COVID-19 stay-at-home measures, our new methods of monitoring continue, which include:
  • Weekly surveys of key areas conducted by staff
  • DAR staff conducting weekly island wide Creel Surveys
  • PMRF staff continuing to send in routine reports and photos
  • Requesting that people who call the hotline to report seals assist us by sending several photos and setting-up SRA signs or sticks. 

Morbillivirus Vaccination: RM28 received the initial vaccine this month.

Volunteers: 

• Volunteer program remains on hold due to COVID-19.
  

Research/Support of PIFSC:

• Sub-sampled scat, molt, and tissue plug samples accordingly.
  
• Logged all seal sightings for PIFSC database. Organized photos and reported sightings, molt tallies, survival factors to send to PIFSC.