8/21/2014 DB's Dailies: Kolohe,Kainoa&Aukai@RI, Buster@BH&SB, U/U@SC, T990@AD, Pohaku@Nanakuli, M&M@WP, Kekoa@RR, U/U@Waikiki

It was a complicated day today with Buster (RV08) doing most of the complicating. I first found him, doing 7-8 minute dives at Blowhole at 0630. On my next check he was gone. At 1018 Ocean Safety called with the report of an animal at the east end of Sandy Beach. Thus began the Buster chase. He was gone from the east end, but while talking to the lifeguard, I saw him on the beach at the Blowhole end. I humped the stuff all the way there, only to have him return to the water at the last moment. I relocated to Blowhole for an overview and to see if he had returned to foraging. He had not. I continue on to other calls but at 1127 JoAnn called with a Hotline report of an animal at what would prove to be Crappy Cove, Sandy Beach.

Once again when I arrived, the caller advised that he had not hauled out and had departed. I relocated to Blowhole again and lo and behold found Buster there doing 7 minute dives. I returned to other calls, but was back at BH at 1430. Melanie advised that Buster had tried to haul out in the cove on the SB side of BH, but big waves and high tide made that impossible. Melanie and I watched Buster forage for a while and then at 1437 he began swimming toward SB, hauling out to the west end at 1443. I cordon him off.

 There was lots of other action amidst the Buster story. At 0816 Gayle called with the report of an U/U at Spitting Cave. Her excellent shots could not confirm an ID, but my dollar would most certainly be on Duke, but ????

 At 0835 I found Kolohe (RW22) at the left end and Aukai (RL12) at the right end of the beach on Rabbit Island. On my 1400 check I found that Kainoa (RN04) had joined Kolohe.

 At 1006 the AD saga began with a called from Dana about an animal at AD. I made the huge mistake...... again, of just walking the AD beach from the wall to the estuaries, finding nothing. Only then did I think to check for clarification. I ultimately spoke with the caller who advised that the animal was amongst the Mangroves in the estuaries . I once again began the trek, but a Buster call pulled me away. I hadn’t found anybody but was later to find out that I hadn’t gone far enough. One of my dog walker posse stopped me at SB to advise that he had just seen an animal at the estuaries of AD. He drew me a map which helped immensely. I once again did the trek at 1524, and at 1541 found T990 snoozin’ amongst the Mangroves at the estuaries.

 At 0638 Team Billand found Pohaku (RO28) once again back at Nanakuli.

 On their 0725 White Plains check they found nothing, however a witness said he’d seen M&M get run off, between 5-6 by people being too close. M&M would haul out between T#2 and he showers at 1700. The Billands had been following the animal since 1300, but didn’t realize it was her until she hauled out.

 At 1349 the Billands advised that Eileen had called with the report of Kekoa (RK72) At the Reef Runway. 

At 1742 Ocean Safety called with a report of an animal at 2E in Waikiki. I notified Dana, and at 1810 she called to say that Colleen had responded by found nobody.

 Once again the Billands and M&M are on the late shift. Check the blog in the morning for their day.

 Buster

 

 Buster 

 Kainoa and Kolohe

 T990 hanging hiding in the mangroves

 I often wonder what makes the seals haul out in certain spots?  Why was he here?  why this spot?

 u/u at spitting cave