Here we go with the top ten reported seals on Kauai in 2023. “Reported” seals are those that were called in—and identified—to the Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Hui hotline. (See a monk seal on the beach? Report it to 808-651-7668.)
However, what’s not included in this list are mom/pup reports. Because “pup watches” by dedicated volunteers tend to elevate pup “reported” numbers. And because moms spend the first four to six weeks of their pups’ lives right by their sides, the reports of the mom/pup days are not included.
Keep in mind, other things affect this list. Monk seals often have favorite locations where they haul out. If a monk seal favors a location that happens to be easily accessible by humans, bingo, that seal will be reported more often to the hotline. Molting monk seals get reported more often, too. As well, young monk seals are often sighted and reported more, too, because they tend to hang around and make themselves noticed;-) Lastly, volunteers impact this number, too. Those dedicated volunteers who regularly scout certain beaches for monk seals (thank you very much) will also help inflate a certain seal’s confirmed reports.
On June 9, after 44 days of nursing, RH92 weaned PK2. Reports from witnesses say RH92 followed a male out to sea and PK2 was nonplussed by the whole sequence of events. In fact, PK2 is doing quite well. She and RS30 are frequently seen rolling in the surf and hauled out on the sand together.
A few days after weaning, PK2 was tagged and is now known was RS24 (with S24 on her left rear flipper and S25 on her right rear flipper). RS24 measured 133 centimeters nose to tail and 121 around her mid-section just below her fore-flippers, known as her axillary girth, at tagging.
Here are some recent images (courtesy of A. Kaufmann) of RS24 enjoying life as a weaned and healthy Hawaiian monk seal.
And here’s an action shot (courtesy of Hob Osterlund) of RS24 evading the advances of five-year-old male RK58.
The Kauai team logged 252 seal sightings this month (239 in Dec, 243 in Nov, 277 in Oct, 400 in Sept, 320 in Aug). This included 34 individually identified seals.
New:
· Juvenile female RM28 reported logging in shallow water along Aliomanu Road South, Anahola bay. Underwater GoPro video revealed major wounds on neck, head, and flippers that were likely caused by a large shark and were life threatening. A Kauai team herded the seal into shallow water and into a transport cage for captive care. Staff administered antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and pain meds, and subcutaneous fluids while holding overnight until USCG transport to KKO was possible. The seal died after 5 days of care due to the severity of the injuries.
· Flipper tagged a new Niihau juvenile female as R3CP.
· As many as 8 monk seals have been hauling out/socializing/fighting at Poipu Beach Park most days, and most of the seals are adult males. This is typical spring behavior at Poipu and continues to be a challenge for the volunteer team to manage.
· Adult male RK58, who was rehabbed at KKO for dog bite injuries in 2021, was harassed and chased off Poipu beach by an off-leash dog. No contact was made and the seal left quickly. Volunteers talked to the owner and explained leash laws.
Updates:
· R2XW dehooked previous month has fully recovered.
Here’s another recap for 2022. This list identifies the top ten Hawaiian monk seals “reported” on Kauai during 2022. “Reported” seals are those that were called in—and identified—to the Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Hui hotline. (See a monk seal on the beach? Report it to 808-651-7668.)
However, what’s not included in this list are mom/pup reports. Because “pup watches” by dedicated volunteers tend to elevate pup “reported” numbers and because moms spend the first four to six weeks of their pups’ lives right by their sides, the reports of the mom/pup days are not included.
Keep in mind, other things affect this list. Monk seals often have favorite locations where they haul out. If a monk seal favors a location that happens to be easily accessible by humans, bingo, that seal will be reported more often to the hotline. Molting monk seals get reported more often, too. As well, young monk seals are often sighted and reported more, too, because they tend to hang around and make themselves noticed;-) Lastly, volunteers impact this number, too. Those dedicated volunteers who regularly scout certain beaches for monk seals (thank you very much) will also help inflate a certain seal’s confirmed reports.
Take a look at the Top Ten list for 2022:
RF28: 108 confirmed sightings. Born in 2014 to R028 (who died of toxo after valiant try by veterinarians to treat and save her). Bottom lip scar left side. Most telling ID: Natural bleach mark over left shoulder. left tag gone. Bottom right tag broken.
RK58: 104 confirmed sightings. Born on 7/16 in 2018 to RH58. Pup switch resulted in abandonment at 19 days age. Raised at Ke Kai Ola. Released from captivity on 2/11/2019. Returned to Ke Kai Ola for rehab 2/16/21 due to infected dog bites.
RG58: 97 confirmed sightings. Born 2015 to RH58. Natural bleach above tail, line scar left rear. One of our biggest males.
TempV11: 74 confirmed sightings. Subadult male/ bleached marked Feb. 2022 because too few scars to ID. Became a regular at Poipu in spring 2022. Pit scar mid back, scar left neck.
R371: 70 confirmed sightings. Niihau female w/pup 2017. Large shark bite right rump and in front right fore flipper, natural bleach mark on top of head, pit scar base of left fore flipper, hook scar left corner of mouth, cookie cutter right shoulder, crescent flap scar belly. Likes to hang out at Mahaulepu and Shipwrecks.
RM36: 68 confirmed sightings. Nice big sub-abult female. Tagged 4/21/2021. Pup of RB00; born 3/15/2020. Cookie cutter scar on right shoulder.
R2XW: 67 confirmed sightings. Very small juvenile female from Niihau. Tagged 4/5/2021 at Glass Beach Eleele. 88 cm auxiliary girth.
RQ52: 56 confirmed sightings. Born to R400 at Polihale on 6/25/2022. Nursed for 38 days. Translocated to safer location after weaning. Eventually, she moved back to the west side.
R7AA: 54 confirmed sightings. New small Niihau female seal to Kauai 6/2017. Monitored for back abscess, caught and treated and tagged 9/2017. Over the years she has demonstrated unique behavior when molting—moves high up the beach at night and onto resort furniture, parking lots and streets, so must be closely monitored.
RM28: 51 confirmed sightings. Born to RK28 in 2020. De-hooked in June 2022. Also involved in displacements at Poipu keiki pool.
Many predictions came with the start of the new millennium, perhaps, save one: The birth of a female Hawaiian monk seal who would survive more than 22 years—and counting—and make a significant contribution to the recovery of the species. She was born in 2000 at Mahaulepu on the southeast coast of Kauai. Because that coastline is fairly rugged, it was decided to translocate her upon weaning to a spot that would give her as favorable a start in life as possible. This was back when the population of Hawaiian monk seals across the archipelago was declining every year and few were sighted in the Main Hawaiian Islands. When she was translocated, she was also flipper-tagged with RH58 on her left flipper and RH59 on her right. Both have since broken off.
RH58, also known to some as “Rocky,” started her prolific pupping history at age six. Since then, she’s pupped 14 times, skipping only three years. Eight of those pups were female. Six of the 14 are still regularly sighted, although they now range across the main Hawaiian Islands. The collective of RH58’s pups illustrate the many challenges facing Hawaiian monk seals in the Main Hawaiian Islands.
Here’s a recap and status of her offspring.
2006: RO12, male, last known sighting 2007.
2007: RB00, female, spends most of her time around Hawaii Island, returning to Kauai to pup.
2009: RA00, female, required veterinary intervention to investigate due to weight loss, disappeared 2011.
2010: RT12, male, died in 2016 on Oahu likely due to drowning in a fisheries interaction.
2011: RK52, female, birthed two pups (the first stillborn; the second, RL52, was thriving until her death due to suspicious circumstances. Hasn’t been seen since February 2021.
2012: RL17, female. Died from unknown causes.
2013: RN44, male. Has become one of the dominant males on Kauai, routinely seen all over the island.
2014: RF58, female. Survived a dog attack that left her with more than 60 bite marks on her body and lead to several abscesses. A NOAA veterinary team administered antibiotics. Unfortunately, RF58 died in a suspicious incident when she was less than one year old.
2015: RG58, male. Currently THE dominant male on Kauai. Seen all over the island, constantly proving that he’s the man.
2017: RJ58, female, known as “Kaimana,” because she was born at Kaimana Beach, Waikiki, Oahu; first known seal born at Waikiki. She was translocated at weaning and is doing well on Oahu.
2018: RK58, male. After numerous pup-switches that left him in a vulernable situaiton, he was raised at Ke Kai Ola on Hawaii Island and subsequently released into the wild. In 2021, he was attacked by dogs and went back to Ke Kai Ola for rehabilitation. He is currently thriving and commonly sighted around Kauai.
2019: RL58, female. Last seen on Kauai in Nov. 2020.
2020: RM58, female. Doing great. Routinely seen around Kauai.
2022: RQ58, male. Born at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki on Oahu. He was translocated upon weaning and is currently doing well on Oahu.
Monthly Update: The Kauai team logged 294 seal sightings this month. This included 26 individually identified seals.
April: 294
March: 292
February: 233
January: 233
December: 267
November: 168
October: 229
September: 251
August: 213
July: 286
June: 218
May: 209
April: 155
New:
· Monk seal activity in the Poipu area remains high, with several seals hauled out daily on the very busy Poipu Beaches.
Updates:
· New subadult male with bleach mark V11 (temporary ID of V11) is exhibiting concerning behavior by approaching people in the water within three feet, with an obvious interest in humans and no signs of fear. Displacements from the keiki pool in Poipu by staff also revealed the seal has very little fear of humans, but instead boldly approaches crowding boards. Update: this seal was displaced from the keiki pool four times in April and continues to show very little fear of humans. Will continue to closely monitor this seal.
Molting: One seal completed a molt last month at Poipu, a challenging location to manage.
Displacements: It was a very busy month with 12 displacements from the keiki pool. There were many seals in the Poipu area socializing, mounting, and playing together all day long. Several subadult males showed very little fear or reaction to displacement, specifically RK58 and V11. The following seals were displaced:
About a year ago, subadult male RK58 appeared on the beach with two puncture wounds, one on each side of his head. His body condition quickly deteriorated. His weight dropped. his head wounds swelled and oozed. He was reported to be lethargic and unresponsive to human activity on the beach.
After a health assessment, it was determined RK58 had been attacked by a dog. He was captured and flown to Ke Kai Ola on Hawaii Island where he was rehabilitated and, eventually, returned to Kauai and released.
Unfortunately, the RK58 dog encounter wasn’t the last.
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Last September, a woman reported two large dogs barking at a seal hauled out at Makua Beach on the north shore. The seal growled in return and moved toward the water.
In December, a large dog pinned down a seal also at Makua. The dog’s owner pulled the dog off the seal. The seal left soon afterward and no blood was observed. The next day, the dog’s owner called to self-report the incident.
This year, already, two more incidents have been reported, both taking place at Mahaulepu. In one, two off-leash puppies flushed a seal into the water. No contact was made. In the other, three off-leash dogs flushed a seal into the water. In both cases, the dog owners were nearby but not in control of their dogs.
And these are the only incidents that have been reported.
The seal’s health isn’t the only concern in these interactions. Seals carry diseases that are communicable to dogs. Hawaiian monk seals, like any wild animal, are likely to act aggressively if they feel threatened. A dog that is merely investigating too closely may be considered a threat to the seal.
As a reminder, dogs are not allowed at County of Kauai beach parks. Elsewhere, according to Kauai County Code Leash Law Section 22, dogs must be under control of their owner by a leash (not more than eight feet long) when off the owner’s property.
Too, Hawaiian monk seals are protected by Federal and State laws. Owners of any dog that disturbs a monk seal may be cited in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and/or the Endangered Species Act.
In general, to help monk seals:
Keep beaches clean.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Keep seals wild—give them space.
When fishing, pull your fishing line in until the seal leaves the area.
Keep cats exclusively indoors. Cats that live outdoors spread the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which is lethal to monk seals and other native wildlife.
Vaccinate your pets and keep dogs leashed at all times. Dogs have injured and even killed monk seals through attacks and bites, and they can disturb seals resting on the beach. They can also transmit diseases to seals.
Promote healthy oceans.
Share your enthusiasm and educate others.
Click here for more ways to be a friend to endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
Monthly Update: The Kauai team logged 213 seal sightings this month. This included 24 individually identified seals.
August: 213
July: 286
June: 218
May: 209
April: 155
March: 137
February: 119
January: 125
December: 119
November: 133
October: 152
September: 152
August: 198
New:
Adult female RK28 pupped at a remote beach on the north shore. The mother and pup (KP3) remain in the area and are thriving. A daily pup watch schedule has been established and pup zone set with numerous signs.
Displaced one seal, JF R2XW, from the Poipu Keiki pool as part of the Poipu seal management plan.
Return of visitors continuing to cause increased disturbance to seals across the island.
Updates:
The female pup RP20 born at Polihale and translocated elsewhere after weaning has remained in the release area; and has been sighted socializing with other juvenile seals on a daily basis.
3-year-old male R1NI washed ashore dead at Palamas Beach on the south shore in April. Necropsy results are complete and no definitive cause of death has been determined. However, screenings for morbillivirus, toxoplasmosis, and other routinely screened pathogens were negative.
Subadult male seal RK58 was returned from KKO after 6 weeks of rehab and released on the north shore on March 26. He was treated at KKO for likely dog attack injuries that resulted in significant weight loss and infected puncture wounds. RK58 was finally resighted in August, on the east side of Kauai, and he is in good body condition.
Due to COVID-19 stay-at-home measures, our new methods of monitoring continue, which include:
Weekly surveys of key beaches conducted by Olry and Thomton.
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: RP20 (KP2) received her booster vaccine this month.
Molting: 4 seals molted this month.
Volunteers:
The volunteer response program was restarted in June after being on hold since March, 2020. Currently, volunteers are dispatched for hauled out monk seal reports to post signs, assess and ID the seal, collect routine data, and then depart the area. Outreach/education should be as minimal as possible to reduce COVID exposure risk. For busy locations, a spot check schedule will be established. This technique has proven effective and will continue until further notice.
The training of new volunteers has been on hold due to COVID, Delta variant surging. Program information and followup emails sent to new recruits.
Research/Support of PIFSC:
Subsampled KP3 placenta for NOAA 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.
The well known female RK28 gave birth to the third Kauai pup of the year last Thursday. This pup will be known as KP3 until it is eventually flipper tagged. This is RK28’s fourth consecutive year to pup in the same location at a remote beach on the north shore. Her previous pups are:
2018: RKA4 – male
2019: RL28 – female
2020: RM28 – female
RK28 is the mother who lost her two-week old pup in a 2014 dog attack. We suspect she pupped elsewhere for a few years after this incident before returning to Kauai in 2018 to resume pupping.
Similar to the previous pup events in 2020 and 2021, our pup monitoring efforts will be curtailed due to COVID-19, however we are still hoping to conduct daily monitoring checks that focus on adjusting signs, assessing the health of the pair, and taking photos. Outreach to beach users is not the objective, and fortunately the location is remote with just a few people on the beach day. Those interested in assisting with the daily checks should call 808-651-7668.
These rules may change as DLNR adjusts volunteer protocols due to the current spike in COVID cases.
PC: M. OlryPC: M. OlryPC: M. Olry
RK58 Sighting.
Finally, after four-and-a-half months, subadult male seal RK58 was re-sighted! Earlier this year, K58 spent six weeks at Ke Kai Ola, the Monk Seal Hospital, on Hawaii Island due to injuries sustained in a suspected dog attack that resulted in significant weight loss and infected puncture wounds. After treatment, K58 was flown back to Kauai, released on March 26, and not known to have been seen since. That is, until August 11th when a visitor–George–saw K58 and took this photo. George went home, checked out our website, saw the history of K58, and realized he had made a very important discovery: K58 is alive and well. Thanks, George! And thank goodness for readable field tags on those rear flippers!
Monthly Update: The Kauai team logged 286 seal sightings this month. This included 29 individually identified seals.
July 286
June: 218
May: 209
April: 155
March: 137
February: 119
January: 125
December: 119
November: 133
October: 152
September: 152
August: 198
July: 120
New:
A subadult male seal (ID: temp606) was found with a medium size circle hook and 9 feet of heavy trailing line. The line was trimmed, leaving 3 feet trailing. Five days later the seal we resighted hook-free, indicating the seal threw the hook on its own.
The weaned male pup KP1 was found with a medium size circle hook and 4 inches of heavy trailing line. The hooking was not life threatening and was monitored. Seven days later, the seal was hook-free, indicating this seal threw the hook on its own, too.
Instagram video submitted to NOAA of a female monk seals being mobbed by male seals off Lehua. Kauai staff notified PMRF biologists to look out for this seal, plan to assess and treat seal if found.
Displaced two seals from the Poipu Keiki pool as part of the Poipu seal management plan.
Return of visitors continuing to cause increased disturbance to seals across the island.
Updates:
The female pup born at Polihale successfully weaned after 37 days of nursing. Daily pup monitoring by staff and volunteers minimized disturbance by trucks on the beach, surfers, swimmers, and campers. Due to the high risk posed by reckless beach driving common at Polihale, a thorough risk analysis was conducted to assess hazards the weaned pup would face after the mother departed. The analysis concluded that translocation from Polihale Beach to another remote beach was the safest management option for the pup. Therefore, the pup was captured, transported, flipper tagged, and vaccinated by the Kauai team, and released at another safer location. The seal is now tagged RP20, has remained in release area, and has been sighted socializing with other juvenile seals on a daily basis.
Flipper tagging and morbillivirus vaccination for pup KP1 are planned for August.
3-year-old male R1NI washed ashore dead on the south shore in April. Gross necropsy did not reveal much, awaiting histopathology lab results.
Subadult male seal RK58 was returned from KKO after 6 weeks of rehab and released on March 26. He was treated at KKO for likely dog attack injuries that resulted in significant weight loss and infected puncture wounds. Still no re-sightings of him since release.
Due to COVID-19 stay-at-home measures, our new methods of monitoring continue, which include:
Weekly surveys of key beaches conducted by NOAA and DLNR 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: RP20 (KP2) received her initial vaccine this month.
Molting: 4 seals molted this month
Bleach Marking: 1 seal was bleach marked this month.
Volunteers:
The volunteer response program was restarted in June after being on hold since March, 2020. Currently, volunteers are dispatched for hauled out monk seal reports to post signs, assess and ID the seal, collect routine data, and then depart the area. Outreach/education should be as minimal as possible to reduce COVID exposure risk. For busy locations, a spot check schedule will be established. This technique has proven effective and will continue until further notice.
The training of new volunteers has been on hold due to COVID, but has now resumed.
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.
Kaua'i Seals 