"Silver Surfer" Monk Seal - Tag B-13 - Halona Blowhole

[VBlueV]

YEEEHAW!

well.. the first time i saw a monk seal underwater was at Sharks Cove..
[no camera because it was early-spring combat-diving on the North Shore.. 'didn't want to bust up my new (at the time) camera]

the second time i saw a monk seal was Lanai Lookout..
[no camera because i thought i'd already shot everthing there was to see at that site.. but now i know better and take my camera on most every dive]

the third time i saw a monk seal was again at Sharks Cove..
[but it was early winter diving, viz was murky, and the photos/vid were back-scattered]

today [17 Nov 2007 at 11am hst], the fourth time, i finally got some decent footage of a nize "Silver Surfer" Monk Seal playing amongst the rock formations at Halona Blowhole. This was the shiniest Monk Seal i've seen. It actually had a nize silvery gloss finish like the "Silver Surfer".. must've been a young'n. Very sleek, five to six feet long, less than 200 lbs, with red tag B-13 on each of its hind flippers.

[btw.. remind me.. never to get a shiny silver wetsuit.. 'don't wanna look like a seal :11:]

anyways.. here's a vid and a still..


Video of Silver Monk Seal1_Halona Blowhole - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

and here's another still of the "Silver Surfer" Monk Seal shooting straight up a 50-foot wall in the canyon at Halona Blowhole. [apparently they don't need safety stops.. lol.. i actually thought about chasing it to the surface too.. for at least a couple seconds ]

oh, and did i mention.. viz was awesome at Halona Blowhole today!

 

[justleesa]

Lucky You! Still on the top of my list...

 

[smitty71]

Great vid and pics, dove there last weekend, wish id have seen it. Awesome.

 

[bcyber]

I hate you BTW. You need to take me out there sometime soon...like this weekend.

 

[Cacia]

..now that is wonderful!

I love those guys..

sometimes they have this bright green moss growing on their faces.

 

[kidspot]

Is there a place where you can report sightings of tagged Monk seals? I ask because I saw N-5 last week. I assume they depend on reports to keep track of them?

Nice pics - thanks for sharing

Aloha, Tim

 

[VBlueV]

hey Tim.. yeah, i reported to NOAA the one i saw last year..

Hawaiian Monk Seal Sightings Hotline: (808) 983-2958, (808) 220-7802

or..

Dave Schofield
Marine Mammal Response Coordinator
david.schofield@noaa.gov

From NOAA:
"Whenever you see a monk seal, give us a call on the sighting line (808-220-7802) and let us know. The Oahu sighting line is based in Honolulu and handles all MHI sightings. Calls go directly to a cell phone and calls are answered seven days a week."

and here's a thread of my monk seal sighting last season..
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hawaii-ohana/167080-hawaiian-monk-seal-tag-v08-lanai-lookout.html

 

[kidspot]

Thanks JJ - I dropped him an email with the info on N5.

Mahalo, Tim

 

[Spragg01]

(Edited Punctuation)

Awesome sighting and sweet photos. 1,200 left, and time's running out to see them.

For what it's worth, the letter on Monk Seal tags indicate the year they were born (there are some exceptions to this rule, esp. around the main HI Islands), and the 'B' cohort pupped this past summer. Given the survivorship (or lack thereof) of young monk seals, NMFS would be very glad to know of this sighting. Monk Seals molt once a year, and the silver coloring of his/her pelage means that the animal molted recently (or, in this case, that the animal is very young). The coat turns brown and mottled as the year goes on, and finally sluffs completely during a 1-2 week molt (they lose an entire dermal layer, must itch like hell). The green algae around the face that Cath mentioned is the result of the animal spending alot of time in the water, and is seen most often on younger animals (1-3 years) that are learning to forage (hence the time spent in the water). In extreme cases, these algae will cover almost the entire body.

Not to start a debate on the subject, but . . . as a seasonal contractor for NMFS in the NWHI, I have to mention that the fuzz can be touchy about people getting within 100 feet of a Monk Seal, esp. young and pregnant animals, even in the water. Just sayin' /duck

Regards,

 

[TSandM]

What do you do when the monk seal gets within 100 feet of YOU? The one who was trying to play with me at Lahaina would have been rather difficult to avoid!

Thanks for the information about the coat. N5 must have molted recently, because he was very silvery. If my count is correct, would he then be 14 years old?