V93 is now R7AA!
PC: B. Becker
A yearling female that showed up on our north shores in late June, made her way south in August. She hauled up several times at Lawai Beach where the NOAA Science Center scientists and veterinarian were able to capture and examine her healing abscess and, with the Kauai team, flipper tag her (7AA/7AB).
PC: B. Becker
She was given a long acting antibiotic, and fitted with a cell phone transmitter, so we can monitor her movements, foraging and follow her health.
Seals of Concern Updates
PC: M. Olry
RH38: A female yearling seal that was underweight, was transported August 11 by US Coast Guard C-130 to Kona, where she is being rehabilitated at Ke Kai Ola, the Hawaiian monk seal hospital. Her admission weight was 40 kg and she was treated for tapeworms, which were causing her to do poorly. She is eating well, and now is at 46 kg. She has two companions from the NWHI, one admitted in June and the other in August. The plan is to complete her treatment for tapeworms and to allow her to gain enough weight to insure her success after release in another month or two.
Hooked Seals
The adult male seal that was hooked in his back threw off the hook, and continues to be seen at Poipu, he is now freshly molted and known as Temp331.
An unknown seal was reported by a fisherman on the rocks at Kaumakani point last week. The hook is in the right corner of the mouth and is non-life threatening. We do not know of the identification of this seal, whether it has tags or its sex. It may be a young adult or subadult, possibly a Ni’ihau seal, so keep a lookout!
Seal Research
PC: B. Becker
The NOAA Pacific Islands Science Center research biologists were on Kauai for a week working with the Kauai team to find a subadult or adult male seal to deploy a new streamlined “critter” camera. Searching all coasts, practically all of Kauai’s seals were sighted! Many of the mature males were either starting or finishing their molts, so they were not candidates.
PC: B. Becker
Finally R1KT (molts in Dec.) was found on a quiet sandy beach. The team was able to capture him and place a camera (in front) and cell phone transmitter to help relocate him to remove the camera three days later to retrieve the footage. The instruments not only gave a visual video record of movements, but also location, depth of dives, time periods and speed! We look forward to learning what R1KT has to teach us!
We thank the many volunteers that searched with us and responded to mul- tiple seal haul outs to find a good candi- date. We also found a new large adult male, fairly clean, without scars, not known to our records. With additional experienced seal handlers, we were able to capture this seal and tag him. He is now called R2XS with tags (2XS/2XR).
Famous Waikiki Pup Translocated
RH58’s weaned pup, is now known by her tags at RJ58 and still remembered as Kaimana, the Ha- waiian name for her natal beach. Because of vari- ous risk assessments and considerations, she was translocated to a north shore beach to put her in a safe location, where she could interact with other seals and safely forage and explore without the human crowds and dangers at Waikiki.
Also the whole story written by a NOAA biologist can be found here.
Additional Marine Animal News
The State Board of Land and Natural Resources Approves New Boating Rules that will prohibit feeding of wildlife or feral animals, and abandoning animals, and creating or contributing to colonies at any property under the boating division’s jurisdiction. These new sections were added in response to complaints about increased feeding of feral animals at boating facilities, which creates potentially unsafe and unsanitary conditions and endangers sea life.
The board approved both amended rules but deferred implementation of a provision that would allow disposal of feral or abandoned animals at state small-boat harbors until Jan. 1, 2019. The delay was to give time for the boating division to work with animal caregivers to come up with a viable plan to relocate colonies of feral and abandoned animals to areas outside of the small-boat harbors.
NOTE: Cats are the only reproductive host of the parasite toxoplasmosis, which has killed monk seals, and continues to threaten human and other marine mammal health. Click here.
Kaua'i Seals 