Monk Seal Monday #208: 2023 (P)update

The three pups born in 2023 are doing well. Here’s an update on each:

RS10 is routinely being sighted along the Kapaa coastline and seems to be an east side boy after staring his life on the north shore last July. He was originally identified as PK3.

RS24 has been more elusive but has also popped up in various locations on the east side, including near Kealia Beach in February. She was also a north shore born pup in April, 2023 and known originally as PK2.

RS30 has broadened his horizons and has been sighted on Niihau, in good health and surrounded by many other seals. He was born on the north shore in March of 2023 and known originally as PK1.

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Field Report: June 2023

The Kauai team logged 270 seal sightings this month (287 in May, 303 in April, 294 in Mar, 249 in Feb, 252 in Jan). This included 35 individually identified seals.

New:

·       Adult female RH38 sent to KKO via USCG for diagnostics and care. This seal has been to KKO twice prior. This time, the seal is in good body condition, but was logging for 8 days and was staying in the same area for 3 weeks. Seal was alert, but had difficulty moving on land. Seal is healthy and stable currently and on antibiotics. Toxo test was negative. 

·       PK2 weaned after 45 days of nursing, was flipper tagged (RS24) and vaccinated. Pup is large with ax girth of 121 cm.

Updates:

·       PK1: The weaned pup has remained in natal area. Booster vaccine was also given this month.

·       Hooked seal reported by fisherman at PMRF. Fisher did not hook the seal, but did see a large circle hook and trailing line. Later, subadult female seal RL30 was found in the Poipu area with a large circle hook in the lower left side of mouth and had heavy trailing line ending with a pigtail swivel attached. The line was snipped using the pole-mounted seat belt cutter, removing the entanglement hazard. UPDATE: Seal sighted on 6/10 and 7/16, still good body condition but hook remains. Capture and hook removal may be necessary in future.

Bleach markings: 1 seal was bleach marked this month.

Vaccinations: the weaned seal RS30 was fully vaccinated.

Displacements: 1 seal was displaced from the Poipu keiki pool, per the management plan.

                             2 seals displaced from roadway at Fuji Beach, Kapaa.

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Monk Seal Monday #193: Meet RS24

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.

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And here’s an action shot (courtesy of Hob Osterlund) of RS24 evading the advances of five-year-old male RK58.

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