Monk Seal Monday #107: Where Have All the Poipu Seals Gone?

In 2019, the south shore volunteer team was managing two, three, four and sometimes as many as six or seven seals at Poipu at the same time. Challenging times, indeed. Sometimes all seals clustered in one zone; sometimes they spread out over two or even three zones. Of course, the most challenging spot to manage human/seal interactions was the spot that seals liked most, which happened to be the main snorkeling water entrance/exit. In one emergency, lifeguards had to carry a drowning victim over two resting seals, literally, to bring her ashore for CPR. The good news is the rescue was a success, and the person recovered fully.

Then, earlier this year, when the COVID stay-at-home orders were instituted, the volunteer program was placed on hold, and tourism came to a virtual halt. We expected that the seals at Poipu would enjoy resting undisturbed. However, since the pandemic began, the seals seem to have disappeared from the Poipu area. One reason may be there are fewer people on the beaches, so there are fewer calls coming in the hotline. Make sense. But was there something else going on?

Here’s what a review of the data from the daily sightings log revealed:

As expected the number of seals reported in the Poipu area during April-August of this year dropped to a total of 73 sightings. The prior year, during the same five month window, there were a total of 257 reported seal sightings.

A comparison of the individual seals sighted in Poipu in 2019 versus 2020 during that same April-August window revealed the number of unique seals identified in the Poipu area dropped from 21 unique seals in 2019 to 12 in 2020. Too, there’s a slightly different cast of characters hauling out at Poipu this year.

Notably, the notorious “Poipu boys,” a group of rough-housing male seals, have split up with several moving to Oahu, and a couple others moving back to Niihau. From that notorious group, only RG58 remains, and he’s often spotted on the rocks near Brenneckes Beach these days.

Also, two seals from 2019 that occasionally hauled out at Poipu have died—RK30 of old age late last year and RJ36 of a hook ingestion several months ago. Apart from the loss of these two, all the other Poipu regulars of last year are still alive, based on sighting reports across the state.

What this tells us is seal behavior isn’t static, and just when you come to expect the expected out of a seal or group of seals or a particular haul-out location, things change.  As the old philosopher Heroclitus said, “Change is the only constant in life.” Guess he was talking about seals, too.

For more specifics take a look at the list of seals seen in 2019 and 2020.

April through August 2019 – These 21 individuals comprised the 257 reported seal sightings in the Poipu area from Shipwrecks to Lawai Beach):

NG00 -sighted at PMRF in 2020 and frequently on Niihau
R1KY
R1NI
R336 – rare seal
R339 – now an Oahu regular
R376
R3CX – now an Oahu regular
R402 – rare seal
R6FQ – sighted elsewhere on Kauai on 2019 and 2020
R7AA
RF28 – now an Oahu regular
RF30
RG22 – now an Oahu regular
RG58
RH38
RJ36 
RK30 – died of old age in late 2019
RK36 – occasional visitor from Oahu
RK90
RN02 – sighted at PMRF in 2020 and frequently on Niihau
RW22 – occasional visitor from Oahu

April through August 2020 – These 12 unique individuals made up the 73 reported seal sightings in the Poipu area (Shipwrecks to Lawai Beach): 

R1KY
R1NI
R339
R340 – rarely sighted on Kauai
R376
R407 – rarely sighted on Kauai
R7AA
RF30
RG58
RH38
RJ36 – died from hook ingestion in the first half of 2020
RK90

Read Full Post »

Field Report: December 2019

Monthly Update: The Kauai team logged 180 seal sightings this month. This included 32 individually identified seals.

December: 180
November: 223
October: 258
September: 203
August: 324
July: 239
June: 179
May: 262
April: 348
March: 350
Feb: 303
Jan: 284

New:

• Subadult female R7AA was sighted with a medium sized circle hook in her left cheek. The Kauai team responded and were able to capture her on the beach and remove the hook without complications. A 2-foot heavy gauge monofilament leader and pigtail swivel was attached to the hook which presented a serious entanglement and drowning hazard. The seal was immediately released and has been sighted since with no signs of infection.
• An untagged adult female that has not been sighted on Kauai previously hauled out at Poipu and has since become a somewhat regular seal on the south shore. This seal was previously sighted on Niihau in 2017 with a pup and has an ID of R371. She has numerous scars and can be easily identified, even without flipper tags.
• Another untagged Niihau adult female was sighted for the first time on Kauai’s north shore. Her ID is R367.
• Another untagged likely Niihau seal molted at a remote east side beach. He is a new seal to Kauai and has a temp ID of Temp361.
• Yearling RL58 observed with a large fresh cookie cutter shark bite very close to the genital slit. The seal was closely monitored for possible infection, and the seal has quickly recovered.
• A volunteer observed a tourist attempt to pet the large adult female RK90 at a west side beach. The seal responded by leaving the beach. Outreach was conducted by the volunteer.

Updates:

• RH38, the seal rehabbed at KKO and released in July, continues to thrive on north shore. Her tracking tag remains attached, however the battery has died so no further data is being transmitted.
• All of the 6 pups born this year have been sighted recently and continue to thrive.
• Displacements: No displacements this month.
• Molting: Adult male RN02 spent 3 weeks at the busy Poipu Beach in pre-molt, molt, and post-molt which required extensive volunteer coverage. One other seal molted this month in less busy areas.
• Vaccinations: A booster morbillivirus vaccine was given to new juvenile seal R1NI.
• Bleach marking: none 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.

Read Full Post »

Monk Seal Monday #80: Life and Times of R7AA

A couple weeks ago, we shared the antics of RN02. Well, he’s not the only Hawaiian monk seal who logs unusual behaviors in the NOAA Hawaiian Monk Seal database. The subadult female known as R7AA has her own share of interesting notations.

Most recently, at 7:00 a.m. on Dec 6, a report was received on the hotline of a seal resting on the beach at Kiahuna Point, Poipu. One of our lead volunteers responded and found subadult female R7AA sleeping on sand with a medium sized circle hook in her left cheek and two feet of trailing monofilament.

Our DLNR and NOAA Hawaiian Monk Seal coordinators and several volunteers trained in capture techniques assembled on scene by 8:15 a.m. R7AA was sleeping on sand at the top of the beach next to naupaka vegetation. She was in good body condition; however, the hook tip was visibly protruding through the left cheek from inside the mouth. A minor infection was noted with some blood staining, but no swelling.

The team captured the seal (with approval from NOAA). A vise-grip pliers was used to hold the hook’s shank and push the hook’s tip through her cheek. The hook’s barbed tip was then cut off with a small bolt cutter, and the hook was easily reversed out of the mouth. A foul odor was detected along with blood staining on the fur below the mouth, and fresh blood flowed from the wound while removing the hook. 

R7AA was immediately released and headed for the waterline. After 10 minutes, she moved back up the beach and spent the remainder of the day hauled-out in the same location.

Here’s a photo of the fishing gear that was removed from R7AA’s mouth. This contraption is used in slide bait fishing, often to catch giant trevally, known as ulua. (This is when we encourage fishers to use barbless fishing hooks. Also, if they realize they’ve hooked a seal, to report it to the Hawaiian monk seal hotline, no questions asked, at 808-651-7668.)

Here’s the capture team. They look so mild-mannered for monk seal heroes.

When R7AA was re-sighted yesterday, there was no visible wound, illustrating once again how the skin and blubber of Hawaiian monk seals have a great ability to heal.

While this was R7AA’s most recent incident. It certainly wasn’t her first. In fact, she was likely hooked before, and for a time, she sported a dive tag on her back. However, she has an unfortunate knack to haul out in unusual–and sometimes dangerous–places on the south shore. And she tends to do so around dark, as if she’s planning to settle in for the night. Not a good idea when she’s snuggling next to a car tire, on a road, or stretched across a sidewalk. One night she was all the way up by the ancient Hawaiian cemetery at Poipu Beach Park, that’s a good 100 feet from the water across about 50 feet of grass lawn.

The key is to head her off before she makes a risky journey.

So, with approval and training from NOAA, R7AA has been displaced away from roads, parking lots, and sidewalks a total of eight times. She’s been displaced out of the Poipu keiki pool twice. She is also one of the few seals to be displaced independently by trained volunteers who were authorized to encourage her to move out of harm’s way quickly, rather than wait for staff to arrive. Mahalo to our well trained and dedicated volunteers who have the experience and knowledge of how to safely move a large wild animal off a road and back into normal habitat.

Here’s a look at some of R7AA’s unusual choices for sleeping locations.

This last photo is included for its sheer oddity. It’s the remains of 30 small eels that she barfed up one day.

Read Full Post »

Field Report: November 2019

Monthly Update: The Kauai team logged 223 seal sightings this month. This included 31 individually identified seals.

November: 223
October: 258
September: 203
August: 324
July: 239
June: 179
May: 262
April: 348
March: 350
Feb: 303
Jan: 284

Updates:

• PK6 was born at a remote beach along Napali Coast in September to R400. He was flipper-tagged on Nov 11. The male pup was large and healthy and now has a permanent ID of RL40.
• RH38, the seal rehabbed at Ke Kai Ola and released in July, continues to thrive. Her tracking tag remains attached, however the battery has died so no further data is being transmitted.
• All of the 6 pups born this year have been sighted recently and continue to thrive.
• Displacements: Adult male RF28 was displaced from the keiki pool beach. That was his first displacement from the keiki pool.
• Molting: Adult male RN02 spent 3 weeks at the busy Poipu Beach in pre-molt, molt, and post-molt which required extensive volunteer coverage. One other seal molted this month in less busy areas.
• Vaccinations: Initial morbillivirus vaccine given to new juvenile seal R1NI.
• Bleach marking: none this month.

Research/Support of Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center:

• 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.

Read Full Post »

Monk Seal Monday #79: The Antics of RN02

Some seals go about seal life quietly, silently slipping out of the sea and galumphing up the beach at such remote sites that few humans ever lay eyes on them.

Then, there’s RN02. He tends to haul out at beaches heavily populated with humans, and when he does, he announces his arrival. Loudly. It’s like he’s charging down a football field and providing his own play-by-play at the same time. No color commentator or sportscaster necessary.

In November, RN02’s behavior was no different when it came time for his annual molt. He chose a busy south shore beach, and he made sure everyone knew he was there—barking at humans, other seals, and even turtles who got too close.

Hawaiian monk seals spend about two-thirds of their life in water. They spend so much time in water that algae often grows on their fur. About once a year, Hawaiian monk seals undergo a “catastrophic molt” in which they shed the top layer of their skin and fur. They can go from looking green and dirty too sleek and shiny in about a week to 10 days, rarely leaving the beach to forage. Basically, they set up camp.

RN02 arrived on October 28th, looking dirty and chomping on what might have been his last major meal for a few weeks—an octopus.

The first week he spent on the beach, he showed signs of illness—sneezy, running eyes, diarrhea. Diarrhea that was, by the way, red in color, likely the result of some crustaceans or other yummy fish he’d recently eaten. Maybe the octopus. But he also showed signs of “pre-molt” behavior.

Then, on November 7th, volunteers confirmed RN02 was, indeed, beginning to molt.

RN02 first started making a splash in 2013 on Hawaii Island where he was born. There are few Hawaiian monk seals found on Hawaii Island. As we witness on Kauai, after weaning, many young seals tend to hang out together, tumbling along the shoreline and interacting in a manner we humans might consider as rough. For RN02, there were no other young seals around Hawaii Island after his mother weaned him.

So, it wasn’t long before RN02 was repeatedly reported to be roughhousing in the water with humans—and it wasn’t appreciated by the humans. It was dangerous. Before he could injure seriously someone, RN02 was translocated to Niihau.

Within a couple years, RN02 turned up on Kauai and has turned into a regular south shore seal. At first, he was people curious, pursuing swimmers and following people up the beach. He hauled out on a boat ramp, undeterred by the steams of snorkelers and divers walking past him to enter and exit the water.

On several occasions, RN02 was intentionally displaced (by trained staff) when he was found hauled out in disconcerting locations like this and others.

Once, he was sighted with marine debris entangled around his neck. However, he was able to escape its trap on his own.

In February 2017, RN02 was reported to have blood near his mouth. That turned out to be a small fish hook with about six inches of monofilament fishing line along his gum. Eventually, the hook and line fell out on its own.

Eventually, RN02’s interest in humans abated. Now, he runs with a few other adolescent males, sometimes causing the same ruckus in near-shore waters that he generated on Hawaii Island. Only this time, he’s rough-housing with other mammals more closely related to him.

RN02 completed his molt on November 14th. Throughout, his antics can be summed up by this one report from one volunteer: “Still cranky and vocalizing a lot at folks who are not remotely close to him—all over the beach, up to bushes, down to the water with sideways in between for some variety.”

RN02 now has his shiny new coat; however, that’s not stopped notorious ways. On November 29th, he was hauled out and sleeping when an umbrella got away from a beachgoer, blowing down the beach and hitting RN02. He didn’t like that too much. He flushed for the water and hauled out elsewhere.

There’s no doubt RN02 will continue to generate stories—and we hope for a good, long time to come.

Here are some photos of one of the more interesting monk seal molts of 2019.

Pre-Molt. PC: Thomton.

November 9th. PC: Honnert.

November 10th. PC: Megonnell.

November 11th. PC: Honnert.

November 12th. PC: Honnert.

November 12th. PC: Honnert.

November 13th. PC: Megonnell.

November 13th. PC: Megonnell.

Read Full Post »

Field Report: June

The Kauai team logged 179 seal sightings this month (262 in May, 348 in April, 350 in March, 303 in Feb). This included 32 individually identified seals.

June: 179
May: 262
April: 348
March: 350
Feb: 303
Jan: 284

New:

• Two male seals, RG22 and R3CX. were displaced from Poipu. (This is always done by trained personnel.)
• Two adult seals, male RN02 and female R1KY were displaced off a beach road at the end of the Burns Field runway at Salt Pond Beach Park. Lifeguards assisted by closing the road until displacement occurred. (Again, this is only conducted with prior approval and by trained personnel.)

Updates:

• Discussions and plans were set in place this month for the return and release of RH38 in July.
• 2019 pups RL08 and RL52 continue to thrive at various north shore beaches.
• Displacements: 6 displacements occurred this month. Two of these displacements were from the keiki pool, subadult male R3CX, which was his 4^thdisplacement, and subadult female R7AA, which was her second displacement.
• Molting: no seals were observed molting this month.
• Vaccinations: Pup RL52 was given a booster vaccination this month.

Research/Support of Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (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.

 

Read Full Post »

Field Report: February 2018

Sightings:

The Kauai team logged 259 seal sightings this month. This included 32 individually identified seals.

Feb: 259
Jan: 336
Dec: 270
Nov: 239
Oct: 225
Sep: 354

New Issues:

• RK90 returned after 6 week absence. Was large and pregnant on 12/28/17 and then sighted on 2/17/18 thin. Likely pupped on Niihau. This would be her first pupping.

Updates on previously reported issues:

• NG00 is likely still hooked and was not sighted this month. NG00 was observed with a circle hook in lower right lip. Sighted on Niihau in January. Photos match pictures sent in by fisherman along Kaumakani in September of a hooked seal. Seal in good condition, hook not life threatening, will attempt to de-hook next time hauled out on sand.
• Poipu Keiki Pool: 6 displacements took place this month. Listed below are which seals and how many total times they have been displaced from the keiki pool. Please remember displacements require skilled training and, as always, prior approval from NOAA. Please never attempt this on your own. But please do call the hotline (808-651-7668) when/if you find a monk seal in the Poipu Keiki Pool.
  • RN02 – 3^rd displacement
  • RG58 – 1^st and 2^nd displacement both this month
  • R339 – 4^th displacement
  • RV18 – 1^st displacement
  • RK90 – 3^rd displacement
• Morbillivirus vaccinations: All vaccines on Kauai have expired. No further vaccinations will occur for the time being.
• Bleach markings: 2 seals bleach marked this month.
• Molting activity: 1 seal molted this month.

Read Full Post »

Field Report: May 2017

Busy Month De-hooking Seals.

Juvenile male seal RG22 was found with a small hook again on May 1. A team was quickly assembled to capture and attempt hook removal. The original small J hook was no longer visible, however a rusty medium sized circle hook was incidentally found wedged inside the left lower jaw, which required sedation for removal. RG22 was transported to the DLNR base yard and held overnight to await arrival of an Oahu veterinary team to assist. He was sedated and the rusty hook was removed. Radiographs revealed that the smaller hook and was no longer present.

PC: V. Bloy.

On May 11, hooked adult female RK90 was found with large male, R336 at Ahukini Cove. Due to her large size, a skilled NOAA seal handler from Oahu joined the Kauai team. The team isolated and captured RK90 with crowding boards, removed the large circle hook and immediately released her to re-join R336.

PC: M. Miyashiro.

 

Seals of Concern Updates.

Photo credit: L. Nowatzki.

Subadult male, RN02, continues to interact with people in the water, but the level of interaction seems to have decreased somewhat in May. Fortunately we are seeing that he socializes with seals extensively (and the odd turtle!). He has not made contact with people yet. This is a good reminder to remember NOT to engage with monk seals in the water.

RH92, juvenile female, translocated to the West Side, returned to Lihi canal within two weeks, however we are pleased to report that she is foraging in a wider range along the east coast and spending less time in the canal where fish scrap dumping appears to have decreased due to increased outreach and law enforcement patrols.

 

Seals Heal in Amazing Ways!

Photo credit: M. Miyashiro.

Adult female, RK13 was found on April 26 with a large wound to her face, with tears to the skin around her nose, leaving her left nostril (nare) no longer visible. Close inspection revealed a series of triangular cuts, indicating a shark bite. Seal wounds close up and fill in by a process called tissue granulation. We expected RK13 to have extensive scarring and possibly the loss of a nare. Amazingly one month later, her face was completely healed with only a few small scars and both nares patent and normal! Our NOAA veterinarian was kept informed of the wounds and healing progress to determine if intervention was indicated. Though wildlife wounds often look disturbing, wild animal medicine demonstrates how resilient wild animals are.

Read Full Post »

Field Report: March/April 2017

More new seals for Kauai.

On March 28 a juvenile male seal was first sighted on the North Shore. His only remarkable scar was a small cookie cutter shark bite on his left mid side. He quickly became a regular, so a team was put together to tag him with flipper tags 3CD and 3CE, making his official ID R3CD. He also received a morbillivirus vaccine.

PC: Thomton

A new adult female seal with a small pit scar on her right mid side also started to appear on the rocks at Brenneke’s beach, and continues to rest there regularly. She was bleach marked V76, and received her first morbillivirus vaccination.

RG22 dehooked.

PC: Thomton

On April 16, visitors snorkeling at Mahaulepu called the hotline to report that they had cut free a seal entangled on coral. They sent a video that identified it as juvenile male, RG22. The next day, he was sighted at Palamas, so a team was assembled to respond. Fortunately, even sporting the biggest hook we’ve ever come across, the team was able to cut and remove the hook that pierced the left corner of his mouth. The fishing gear was a slide bait rig used for ulua fishing and included the bait that looked like a Hawaiian white eel or Conger eel, known locally as Tohei.

RH92 returns to Lihi Canal.

PC: Fujimoto

After wildlife biologists and veterinarians relocated 10-month-old RH92 on March 30th from the Lihi Canal in Kapa‘a to a beach on the island’s west side, we’d hoped she would stay away from the canal. Unfortunately, she returned to the canal along with an adult seal (RK13). Together they’ve been seen feeding on small fish in the manmade waterway along with discarded fish parts. The return of RH92 to Lihi is prompting stepped-up public awareness and outreach and potentially enforcement of littering laws for fishermen who dispose of fish parts in the water.

Seals of concern.

RN02, subadult male, has demonstrated increased curiosity of people, pursuing swimmers and following the public up the beach. He is also interacting with scuba divers, taking fish from skin divers at Koloa Landing. He then hauled out on the boat ramp, undisturbed by divers walking past him to enter and exit the water. RN02 was displaced from the ramp using crowding boards. RN02’s curiosity also proved dangerous with marine debris, found around his neck, which he later escaped on his own. We hope this is just a part of reaching sexual maturity, but we are considering ways to curb his behaviors.

Another incident of concern made the evening news (click here) in which a dog owner should have moved away from the seal, but instead engaged the seal, and endangered both his pet dog (on a leash) and the seal.

Kauai Vaccinations have begun for 2017.

This year we will include females (except those within two months of pupping) in our morbillivirus vaccination program. This includes 18 males and 26 females. Coordinators will be busy trying to find these seals to give initial vaccines and boosters 3-5 weeks later, so we appreciate all your sightings!

Read Full Post »

Field Report: Winter 2017

The winter of 2017 has turned out to be busy for the Kauai HMS Conservation Hui.

Photo credit: Miyashiro

In January a new juvenile female seal was sighted. She has what appears to be a healed cookie cutter shark bite behind her left eye. She also has a pit scar on her right mid side. She was originally sighted on Ni’ihau and is officially R347.

In February five more juvenile female seals were sighted. Four of them were bleach marked and/or flipper tagged, so we can track and monitor them, especially since several of them are fairly clean of scars or natural bleach marks can often be used to identify untagged seals.

One with a faint scar behind her left eye was entered into the monk seal registry as R351 and bleach marked V73. A week later, using her bleach mark to identify her, she turned up on Molokai.

A youngish female popped up on the east shore several times, with a distinguishable natural bleach mark on the tips of her left fore flipper. She was flipper tagged and is now 1NS.

Photo credit: Miyashiro

On the west shore, a juvenile female was bleached V75 and flipper tagged as 1KM.

Two more female yearlings were found on the west shore, one of which was bleached as V2.

Photo credit: Thomton

In February, RN02, a subadult male who was translocated from Big Island to Niihau in 2013 after he repeatedly interacted aggressively with swimmers, was sighted with blood near his mouth. A visual examination revealed a small hook and approximately six inches of monofilament fishing line along his gum line. Consultation was made with a marine mammal vet, and it was determined the hook would likely loosen and fall out on its own. Thus, no intervention was deemed necessary at the time.

Sadly, a well-known Kauai seal was found dead in late February. R4DP, a female, was approximately 15 years old. She was first tagged on Kauai in 2008. That same year she was flown to Oahu for examination for suspected ingestion of a fish hook. Upon examination, no hook was found, and she was returned to Kauai and released. Unfortunately, after necropsy, it was determined R4DP’s injuries were inconsistent with natural causes. Thus, as a marine mammal protected by the Endangered Species Act, her death is being investigated by law enforcement officials.

This is the 11th “suspicious death” of a monk seal since 2009, and the first since 2014.  Anyone having information related to the death of R4DP or any other suspected monk seal death should call the NOAA OLE hotline at 1-800-853-1964 or DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) at (808) 873-3990 or 643-DLNR.

2016 Pup Update:

Weaned pup updates RH80 continues to appear on the north and east coasts of Kauai, looking healthy. Also, for the first time since she was flipper tagged last summer, RH38 popped up on the North Shore, also looking healthy.

Photo credit: Miyashiro

RH92 is looking good, too, although she turned up with a cookie cutter shark bite on the right side of her head. Though it is the usual 3” circular wound, it appears very large on her small head and looks deep. Fortunately the bite missed vital structures of her eye and ear. Monk seals have an amazing capacity to heal from large wounds on their own. RH92 is healing fine, and the wound will likely shrink to a small pit scar. Of greater concern for RH92 is that she was found for the first time hanging out near a small boat landing, foraging and eating a fish, likely scraps tossed out by fishermen. This is a good reminder not to throw fish and scraps into the water, especially if a seal is present.

Read Full Post »