RF30 weaned PK1 at 39 days on April 27th. A week later, he was bleach-marked as V30. Last Friday, he was officially tagged S30 (left flipper) and S31 (right flipper). He will be known in NOAA’s scientific database as RS30. Two weeks after weaning, his axilliary girth measured 98 cm and his length from tip of the nose to tip of the tail was 124 centimeters. He’s lost some weight since RF30 weaned him and as he figures out the good bits to eat in the ocean, but he’s certainly not the smallest weaner of record. At the same time that RS30 was flipper-tagged, he was vaccinated against morbillivirus, a tissue sample collected, and a micro-chip pit tag (much like the kind used with dogs and cats) was inserted. And all that got done in less than five minutes.
Here are a couple videos provided by volunteers illustrating the development of this young Hawaiian monk seal.
Kaua'i Seals 