2015 Recap

2015 Total Numbers for Kauai Marine Mammal Response Network

We tallied the efforts of our 100+ member volunteer network over the past year and are excited to share the numbers with all of you. The gradual increase in seal sightings and numbers clearly show that monk seals are doing well in the Main Hawaiian Islands. We want to emphasize that it is the efforts of our volunteers that make this possible!

 Grand sightings total: 3,321 (9.1/day) monk seal sightings on Kauai in 2015 (up from 2,516 in 2014 or 6.9 seals/day)!

•   Kauai population: 53 unique individual seals sighted in 2015 (47 in 2014)
•   Births: 4 seal pups born on Kauai. Two pregnant females likely pupped on Ni’ihau (RK14 and RK28 departed pregnant, returned thin)
•  Mortalities: RF22 – died from propeller strike
•   Ni’ihau Seals: sighted 14 new seals in 2015 likely from Ni’ihau
•   Kauai team flipper tagged 5 of these new unknown juveniles
•   Bleach marking effort: 22 bleach marks were applied

Stranding: 6 monk seal responses.

•  R6AP – dewormed and examined, SAT tag showed seal moved to Ni’ihau
•  RN44 – circle hook removed from cheek at Larsens Beach. Full recovery.
•  RF22 – found dead, cause of death was propeller strike.
•  RF28 – ingested a circle hook. Transported to Oahu for surgical removal, released at Waipake after successful hook removal.
•  RF28 – follow-up capture/exam due to flipper lameness. Minor laceration discovered, seal fully recovered from hooking.
•  N1AA – J hook removed on the beach at PMRF. Full recovery.

Read Full Post »

Field Report: Seal of Concern

Recently volunteers and coordinators noticed one of our young seals was losing condition–becoming thin. NOAA Science center biologists and veterinarians made the decision to intervene, so R6AP was caught on March 5. The team took blood samples and swabs and implemented a de-worming protocol. At the same time, a satellite tag was attached to track R6AP’s movements and make follow up assessments. Since then, blood work returned within normal limits. We will continue to map his movements and observe his condition in the next few weeks.

Photo credit: M. Olry

Read Full Post »

Field Report: January 2015

As noted in a previous update, 47 individual seals were sighted on Kauai in 2014. In just the first month of 2015, we have sighted an additional 3 new seals previously unknown to us, meaning they are likely from Niihau. The smallest and most recent addition was flipper tagged by the Kauai team at Poipu and is now known as R6AP (tagged 6AP in left rear flipper, 6AR in the right, and bleach marked V11). He’s a rather small seal (approximately 80-90 pounds and likely born last summer), but seems healthy and strong.

Photo credit: J. Honnert

 

Photo credit: J. Honnert

Read Full Post »