Irma

Monk seals -- humom thinks they're soooooo cuuute. Urgh. I'd like to take a nibble, but humom is strongly opposed.

So is NOAA and the Marine Mammal response team: 1-888-256-9840

Today we walked past the Natatorium and Aquarium, and were somewhat taken aback to see some police cruisers and cops at Sushi Beach. They quickly left without doing a thing, and voila! a chubby, very large banana-slug-shaped creature smelling of fish reclining on the beach, surrounded by a large crowd cooing a chorus of "aaaw." I'm familiar.

My Uncle Steve was there telling telling the hupeople what a monk seal is and why they couldn't go up and cuddle with her. He also petted us people and mentioned to us that we could go up and chew on her because she would bite us too, which was considerate.

My humom lent Steve her phone to call the Seal Response Team, who needed to drop off their kids at school but would then come by and cordon off the area. We've never seen monk seals on Maui without cordons and posters, so I was thrown off at first. Uncle Steve, humom and I stayed for a while to protect the seal -- Irma -- but then humom had to leave to get ready for work. We were happy to see on our evening walk that Irma was still there, sleeping on her back with her whiskers in the air. I had a good chat with the GSD seal guard dog (he doesn't know how she tastes either, lame).

--- Missy out