Monk Seal Monday #104: Male Hierarchy Displays

When a Hawaiian monk seal hauls out on the beach, they’re generally there to snooze. Sleeping monk seals are so silent and still on the beach that they’re often confused for fat lava rocks. However, in the summer, you may come upon a scene in the Hawaiian monk seal world that is anything but sleepy and easy-going–one you’ll want to give a wide berth, too. It’s the part of the breeding season for males in which they establish their dominance.

Here is a series of photos showing a recent interaction between two males. One is a dominant male whose been around Kauai and Niihau for some time–RK05. He was first identified as a J2 (two-year-old juvenile) in 2003. The up-and-comer who gets his comeuppance is RN30, a seven year-old.

In this particular scenario, RK05 was cruising and periscoping like males do. He saw RN30 on the beach, hauled out, and, as they say, showed the youngster whose roar is louder. RN30 rolled belly up for a bit, and once things settled down, he departed, slinking around the rocks and periscoping himself, eventually leaving the old guy to himself.

If you haven’t seen this, it can be startling, especially if you’re used to monk seals, you know, sleeping quietly. Most of the joisting is verbal; there’s usually very little physical interaction or injury. It’s all posturing to ensure who gets to father the next monk seal pup in the population.

(As we’ve written before, however, male mobbing is a whole different story and can result in injury to females.)

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Monk Seal Monday #61: Road Re-Opens and Reports Ring In.

During a weekend in April 2018, a record-setting storm ravaged Kaua’i. Not a square yard of the island was spared. Lightning lit up the sky. Thunder shook the walls of homes down to their foundation. Streams swelled into rivers and rivers into raging water racing for the ocean, sweeping away homes and cars and, even, buffalo en route.

The hardest hit was a stretch of approximately eight miles on the North Shore, beginning just west of Hanalei and stopping at the road’s end at Ke’e. When it was all said and done, one rain gauge measured a 24-hour rainfall of a whopping 49.7 inches. A U.S. record. All that rain triggered rockslides, ripped out sections of the road, and damaged bridges, instantly making Historic Highway 560 impassable. The road closure reduced the number of people on Haena’s beaches from 3,000 to, maybe, three daily.

With so few people on the beach, there was little need for volunteers to help with outreach. However, a few stalwart volunteers who live in the area continued to scout for seals, conducting health assessments and providing reports to the Kauai Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Hui.

On Monday, June 17, 2019 the road re-opened to the public for the first time, and by 8:30 in the morning, RK52 was reported on the beach. She’s a regular there. But R313, RK05, RH38, RK14 and several others have been sighted on these beaches, as well.

There are only a few volunteers in the Haena area; however, lifeguards and Haena residents often help out by setting up signs and monitoring seals. To prepare for the return of visitors now that the road is open and the beaches are filling up again, racks filled with signs are stationed every 200-300 yards beginning at Hanalei Colony Resort all the way to the very end of the road at Ke’e Beach Park. This is approximately a 4 mile stretch of beach. We welcome the assistance of all beach users to assist with educating visitors who may approach seals too closely or not understand that seals often haul-out and rest alone along this shoreline. If you’d like to become a trained volunteer, please call 808-651-7668.

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Field Report: March

Monthly Update:
The Kauai team logged 350 seal sightings in March. This included 38 individually identified seals.

March: 350
Feb: 303
Jan: 284
Dec: 153
Nov: 145
Oct: 203
Sep: 199

New:

• Yearling female RKA6 was de-hooked by the Kauai team and immediately released. The hook was a large circle hook with 5 m of heavy monofilament trailing. The seal has fully recovered.

Updates:

• Adult female RB00 weaned her pup after 54 days of nursing. He was tagged as RL08 in April.
• RK58 was reared at Ke Kai Ola from August 4, 2018 until released on Feb 13, 2019 after a 3 day soft-release. The seal has remained in the release area, has shown no signs of interest in humans, and is interacting normally with other seals in the area. He also molted this month and lost his satellite tag. He was only 8 months old when he molted, which is unusual as the first molt is usually between 12-16 months of age.
• Displacements: No seals were displaced from the keiki pool. However, adult female RK90 began hauling out at and spending the nights at a beach that’s considered unsafe due to trucks driving on the beach. Therefore, RK90 was displaced (with the proper NOAA approvals and staff) off the beach at sunset five times, twice along with adult male RK05. RK90 continues to return to this beach several times per week but has begun foraging at night again, eliminating the need for further displacement. Close monitoring of this beach continues.
• Bleach markings: 3 were applied this month.
• Molting: 2 seals molted this month.

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.

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(P)update #41

It’s been a little over two weeks since RH92 was tagged. She has been busy exploring up and down the coastline near where she was born, and she’s been making a few friends, too–there’s Temp325, RN44, RN30, 3CU, RK05, RV18 and even recently de-hooked RF28 sporting a tracking device on his back. We have not witnessed her eat any sea cucumbers, as many weaners inevitably do, but she has tried seaweed. Basically, she’s just being a wild monk seal and doing a good job of it, at that.

Here are a few photos of her escapades.

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

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(P)update #25

PK2 just keeps on getting bigger. And RK22 smaller.

Two swims today one of an hour and a half, then another one hour and forty-five minuets. Three feedings observed.

Males RV18 and RK05 both visited both locations but did not haul out. Also had 3CU and Temp 325 in the area.

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

Meanwhile, PK3 learns about body control.

Photo credit: G. Langley

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(P)update #10

Seems mom/RK22 and pup/PK2 had a busy day today. Our volunteers logged two swims lasting two hours each and five feedings. Plus, three males–R8HY, RK05, and RV18–all paid visits, causing some displaying that is all part of the social dynamics of these animals. Mostly, the males are posturing to let mom know they’ll be ready when she goes into estrus again some time after pup is weaned. Sometimes, a male simply hauls out and sleeps on the beach somewhat near mom and pup. He may inch or roll toward her. All moms respond differently, but if/when a male gets too close, mom will raise up and give him a piece of her mind, and the male will back off if not leave the beach altogether. If a second male appears, the two males may tussle, typically with the more dominant one staying and the other swimming off. There is rarely physical harm done to any of the seals involved, but important messages of hierarchy are being communicated.

Of note is R8HY. Until quite recently, he’d been sighted regularly on O`ahu, perhaps a 100-mile journey, giving you an idea of the distances these seals can travel.

Photo credit: V. Bloy

Photo credit: V. Bloy

Photo credit: G. Langley

Photo credit: G. Langley

 

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Field Report: Pup Update

We have three pups in three stages.

Photo credit: V. Bloy

G13 weaned after 43 days, and is exploring the reef, spending much of her time in the water like this–sticking her head under rocks and crevices. She’s also sporting spiffy flipper tags–G12/G13. This is the time of her life where she’s figuring out what’s good to eat. She’s likely snacking on things such as sea cucumbers that won’t continue to be part of her regular diet. G13 has a good store of fat. Hunger is not yet driving her to forage far and wide. She continues to hang out near her natal beach but is starting to range a bit more. As she gets more confidence, stronger, and hungrier, she will forage outside the reef farther off-shore, and we’ll find her hauled out on beaches elsewhere on Kaua`i.

RK22 weaned PK2 after 41 days of nursing. Likewise, he is healthy and plump and sticks close to the beach where he was born. The two weaners have even been sighted rolling in the shallow water together. Shortly after PK2 was weaned, he was bleach tagged on his side as “V22.” Soon, he’ll get flipper tags.

Both weaners are often visited on the beach by various males, including R8HY, RK05, T320, among others.

RO28 continues to nurse PK3, who can get quite vocal when he’s hungry, and has even been known to vocalize while he’s nursing–as well as, fall asleep while receiving his regular nutritious nourishment. His girth is nearly the same as his mother’s, as she has not feeding during these past four weeks. This is normal monk seal biology. It’s her own hunger that will finally force 028 to wean her pup. When she does, PK3 will be on his own, swimming the seas and mastering seal life.

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Field Notes: January 2011

It’s been a busy beginning to 2011 for the Kauai Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Hui!!  Here’s the latest news for our island’s seals.

RA00, “Kaikoa”, is a juvenile seal who will be two years old this March.  She is looking too thin for her age, and quite green.  The green color in her fur coat is evidence that she has not yet molted.  Hawaiian monk seals molt once per year, shedding their outer layer of fur and skin.  She can be identified with her rear flipper tags, which are red with white letters/numbers A00 (left flipper) and A01 (right flipper), and by her bleach mark, V22.  If you see Kaikoa, please call the Kauai monk seal hotline at 808-651-7668, so we can assess her health further.

RK12 is our six-time mama seal.  She most recently gave birth around Thanksgiving 2009 at Maha’ulepu beach, and was thought to be pregnant again this year.  However, she has now completed her molt!  This indicates that she is not in fact pregnant.  It’s normal for mama seals to take a year off between pups, and RK12 has not taken a break in six years.  Good for her!

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center monk seal research team was working on Kauai for a week this January.  Here are some examples of the great work they did to help us learn about Kauai’s seals:

• RO18, an adult male with flipper tags 6FA/6FB, was bleached V25 at Kauai Beach Resort, and was spotted on Oahu a couple of days later!

• Three-year old female seal RB24, “Ha’upu”, received a cell phone tag and her tracks have already started showing up – she went south down the coast, and was seen a couple of days later in Kapa’a.

• R6FM is the new permanent ID for an unknown juvenile female found at North Larsen’s beach; the PIFSC team gave her flipper-tags 6FM/6FN.

• Adult female RK13 (tags 5AA/ 5AB) has a new V21 bleach mark, and adult male RK05 (tags 4DA/4DB) has a new V30 bleach mark.  Juvenile female RW06 was given a new V8 bleach mark.

• R6FQ is the new permanent ID for the little unknown juvenile male bleached 
”V16″ earlier this month.

Thanks to PIFSC and all of our volunteers for their hard work for Kauai’s seals!!

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