This is the second part of yesterday's blog, so if you haven't read Part I, it's best (for the narrative flow and suspense!) to begin with the April 7th Entry first. Then pretend like you've been waiting with baited breath for the last 24 hours to find out what the BIG mystery is all about, okay?
She basked on the hot sandy beach in splendid voluptuous glory.
Of course, PP didn’t realize this when she first saw her, lying behind the yellow crime tape roping off her section of the beach. DHBF had halted, pointing, “Did you see her from your swim?”
PP shook her head, her immediate thought being that the enormous sandy brown shape was a dead seal. She was so motionless. Catching her breath, PP turned toward DHBF, “Is it alive?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s definitely alive. Have you ever seen a Monk Seal before?”
”No, can’t say I have. But she’s so still….” PP’s voice trailed off, still worried about the large beast. Hell, she’d heard of heavy sleepers, but this Monk Seal beat all!
“I’ve been visiting here with one of the Monk Seal Volunteers who’s been telling me all about her. It seems that the seals decide to come up on the beach for a nap, and then they have to be cordoned off like this so that all the crazy picture taking tourists on Waikiki don’t bug her. Oh, and she can be ferocious too.”
“Really?” PP continued to stare at the enormous mass of brown sandy blubber lounging in the hot noonday sun. Hard to imagine her even moving, let alone harming anyone!
“Here, follow me,” DHBF led PP over toward a visored middle-aged woman sporting a ‘Monk Seal Rescue Volunteer’ T-shirt. “Hiya,” he hailed her. “How’s she doing?”
“Oh, she’s just fine. Takin a little snooze despite all the hoopla,” Monk Seal Volunteer Woman nodded a professional knowing grin at the two of them.
“Is she alive?” PP asked, still unbelieving. She hadn’t seen the Monk Seal move at all.
“Oh, yeah, she’s alive all right. That’s why we have to keep her roped off like this. Monk Seals can attack at a moment’s notice before anyone knows it. Why one time, they called me to come down here cause a seal had gotten up to the sidewalk there and I had to get me a ten foot pole to prod him back down to the sand and he was snapping the hell outta that pole let me tell you. But I finally was able to get him back down to the sand, and some other volunteers were able to keep the tourists away and rope off a section of the beach to protect both the seal and them!” MSVW wiped her brow in the noontime sun, grinning widely at the adventurous memory of it all.
PP nodded. Damn. She had no idea that such a vocation was in existence. A Monk Seal Rescue Volunteer? Why, she was as fanatical as the crazy cat rescue women she’d met at the SPCA! What was it about single women and rescuing animals? Not that this woman was single, but PP was willing to bet she was. The rescue aspect must be part of that Fabled Maternal Instinct that PP had zero clue about!
“Wow! That sounds like quite a story!” DHBF exclaimed, smiling down at PP who continued to watch the Monk Seal in her languorous slumber. Suddenly the seal heaved a mighty sigh, and turned her massive body over in the sand, an active flipper giving an unconscious wack to some pesky fly.
“What’s her name?” PP asked, knowing she had one.
Pleased, MSVW nodded, “Well, we call her Irma, but she’s officially got a number that she’s tagged with, A1030.”
“Irma’s much nicer,” PP concluded.
“Oh, yeah,” MSVW agreed.
“She’s awfully quiet,” PP continued, thinking how earlier when she’d been swimming she’d heard what she thought was a seal barking, but had dismissed it as surfer yelps. Maybe the Monk Seal was part of a herd and her family was out swimming in the warm Waikiki Sea? “Does she have a family out swimming out in the ocean?” PP asked. “I thought maybe I had heard a seal bark when I was out swimming just now. Maybe it was her friends?”
MSVW shook her head. “I sincerely doubt it. They really are solitary creatures. Though for awhile there was a male round these parts too.”
PP nodded, romanticizing the Pair of Monk Seals, playfully frolicking in the warm turquoisy sea amongst the Aaaaaaiiiippppoooeeee Fish.
Irma gave another enormous sigh, her rounded side heaving lazily in the sun. “How much does she weigh?” PP asked. Hell, since she had a Monk Seal Rescue Expert here, why not pick her brain?
“Oh, she can weigh upwards of 400-600 lbs.”
“Wow! You’re kidding!”
“Nope, she’s a healthy girl.”
”And what about the males? Do they weigh even more?”
”Actually, not, the females are the bigger ones,” MSVW laughed heartily.
“Ain’t that always the way of it!” a Sunburned Buxom Blonde tourist called out, joining the conversation.
“Ain’t it just!” MSVW agreed.
PP giggled, thinking of all the buxom women she knew. Hell, curves were where it’s at. Even in the Monk Seal World!
Curves or not, PP felt suddenly nervous about standing out in the midday sun, and tugged at DHBF’s elbow, signaling the let’s get going directive. Nodding, he smiled over at MSVW, “Well, thanks a lot for all the info and great stories!”
“No problem,” she nodded, back to business as a Japanese couple inched close to the crime tape barricade, cameras snapping. “Be careful,” she called out, “she’s sleeping.”
The Japanese couple took a step back, abashed and apologetic. “So sorry,”
Opening one brown eye, Irma stared at them, then glanced out toward the sea. Was she going to make her move? Escape back to the lovely warmth of Waikiki’s Embrace?
Grunting, Irma closed her eye. Rolled over onto her other side. Heaved another mighty sigh.
Nah, give it some time.
She still needed to work on her tan.
Monk Seal Waikiki Style that is.
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