STORYLINE

Sea Otter Pod Discovered In Oneloa Bay

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For months tourists and a handful of clam fishermen have reported sightings of mysterious animals around Oneloa Bay. Eyewitnesses described dog sized animals usually around dusk or dawn, playing in the surf and diving along reefs. These reports were officially chalked up to seal misidentification or overindulgence until a few days ago when the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) became involved. After a short investigation the mystery animals were identified, but their identity raises even more questions and has experts worried. It turns out that Maui now has its own pod of sea otters.

Rumors had been running rampant among believers on the island about what the animals may have been. Some said it was some sort of aquatic dog made in a Vereserum lab. Others worried that it was a pack of gigantic mongooses. There have been a number of concerns recently about the effect that Veilcorp’s Icarus project is having on weather patterns and living things near the Lahaina facility. The fact that there are sea otters living offshore seems almost as strange.

Normally found in the cool waters of the Northern Pacific, the wayward otters have experts scratching their heads. Greg Iona Senior Investigator for the DLNR says, “While people associate sea otters with colder waters, historically their range extended along the Baja Peninsula. The real question is how did they get so far out of their normal range?”

Iona says that it is possible that this small group of 7 otters simply followed, or got caught in, a changing current that led them all the way to the island. “It may sound strange but animals have been known to travel from island to island on floating debris all the time. Often these trips can cover very long distances. That’s our best guess as to what happened here. We have no evidence that someone brought the otters in and released them in the wild.”

However they arrived, the otters have many worried. For years Hawaii was the only coastal state without a bivalve fishery, but with the help of the University of Hawaii and The Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture (USDA-CTA), a burgeoning clam fishery has begun. Almost a million pounds of native clams were harvested last year thanks to aquafarming campaigns. Fishermen worry that the otters may devastate the clam stocks. They have their own ideas about who’s to blame for the otter incursion.

The fishermen say that Veilcorp’s massive urchin campaign is the problem and say that the reintroduction project should be put on hold before more otters show up. Alanai Kalipalani, a marine biologist and urchin researcher disagrees. She says that the urchins may keep the otters in the waters around Maui but it is highly unlikely that they brought them to the island. “We’re just too far away from their natural range for the urchins to be the element that brought them here. I agree with the DLNR’s assessment that they’re here because of a change in currents and food migration patterns. It’s happening more and more often actually. Back in 1985 a humpback whale they nicknamed Humphrey was spotted in San Francisco Bay. It was big news back then because it was one the first times we had proof that climate change was having an impact on the normal range of marine mammals. Now humpbacks are routinely spotted in New York’s East river and other river systems around the world chasing baitfish. This is the first time I’ve heard of wayward otters, but I think the same thing is happening here.”

Kalipalani says that the clam fishermen have a valid concern about the otters. “A sea otter eats about 30% of its weight in shellfish a day, and a big male can reach almost 100 pounds. That’s a lot of clams. However, they also really love eating urchins and we have plenty of those to go around. These animals couldn’t put a dent in Veilcorp’s restoration project. I don’t think people fully appreciate how many urchins the company puts in the water every month.”

For now the DLNR plans on letting the pod stay where they are and studying their behavior. They remind the public that even though they are far from home, the otters are still protected by the Endangered Species Act. Any harassment, capture, or killing of the otters is punishable by fines up to $50,000 and/or one year imprisonment. Iona says, “We encourage people to leave them alone. They appear to be content feasting on urchins and aren’t dangerous to people, pets, or sea birds. As long as you’re not a shellfish the otters aren’t interested. Besides the concerns about clam predation, the only issue I see going forward is what will happen when the geese hatch this winter. The NeNe can be very protective of their goslings and haven’t seen otters before, but the otters may have moved on by then. This pod seems to like to travel.”

STORYLINE

Controversial New Procedure Promises Clear Underwater Vision Without Goggles

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A prominent Reparre Biologic researcher says that she has developed a way to allow people to see clearly underwater without the use of goggles. Her procedure involves creating a nictitating membrane, a structure found in many marine mammals and sharks, that would protect the eye while in the water and allow greatly enhanced vision. She says the procedure could be done at any Newuskin facility in a matter of minutes. The company hopes that they can start offering the membranes as an option, along with other treatments, by the end of the year.

In the animal kingdom, a wide variety of species have nictitating membranes. Sharks, reptiles, birds, and even camels have an extra eyelid to help protect their eyes from harsh elements or improve their vision. However, according to the procedures inventor Alanai Kalialani, the remnants of one exist in humans too.

Kalipalani says that there are a number of vestigial organs and structures in human beings that people are familiar with: the appendix, the tail bone, and wisdom teeth just to name a few. What most people don’t know, is that they have part of an extra eyelid as well. “It’s called the plica semilunaris. You can see it in the inside corner of your eye. It has turned into a little fold of tissue. The muscles attached to it are vestigial as well. All we do is build up the tissue a bit and strengthen the muscles,” says Alanai.

Since the news broke about the proposed procedure, many have expressed concern over the treatment and wondered publicly if the operation should be done at all. Many feel that since Reparre’s acquisition of Newuskin the company has pushed the boundaries of good taste and the law. Troubling videos of animal experiments, supposedly from inside a Reparre testing facility, were released a few months ago that sparked a government investigation into the company. Reparre denies that the videos were shot at one of their labs but public opinion remains mixed. A vocal group sees the procedure as a step too far and comparisons to the famous H.G. Wells character of Dr. Moreau have been common. According to Kalialani it wasn’t an old science fiction story that inspired her however, it was a story from her father.

“My father was a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard for years and experienced a lot on the job. He never talked to us when we were kids about specifics. I don’t suppose tales of drownings or near-drownings make the best bedtime stories, but when I got older he shared some of what he saw with me. One story in particular haunted him and stood out to me. It was the middle of a horrible storm and a container ship was in trouble. The load wasn’t properly secured. The boat had already tipped and was on the verge of sinking. Some of the containers had opened and the churning water was filled with clothes, coats, plastic totes, and scared people. My dad lost his mask almost as soon as he hit the water, when a wave slammed a tote into the side of his head. He found two survivors and gave the tote to one to hang on to while he helped the other into the survival ring. By the time they lowered the ring back down and he turned around, the other survivor was gone. Even though it was dark, he dove down, grabbed him and brought him up. When he cleared his eyes, he saw it was only a water-logged coat. Without his mask, he couldn’t find the survivor. It was dark and stormy and the water was filled with debris so chances are he wouldn’t have found him even if he had his mask, but that rescue still haunts my dad. I wanted to do something that could help people like him by giving them a tool to make their job easier and help save lives, not because I always wanted to be a mad scientist.”

Despite Alanai’s assurances many still feel that the treatments cross a line that would be hard to walk back from. An anonymous letter sent to the Kokua Wellness Center reads in part, “[The treatment] pushes the boundaries of good taste. What’s next, sharp pincers for a seamstress? What about someone who doesn’t like their shape and wants to become a cube? I don’t blame these people, they are quite clearly sick. Instead of indulging these aberrations of thought, we should be letting them know that there already is a perfect version of themselves. They can see it in the mirror anytime they want.”

Still, others think the process should go further and hope that the most salacious concerns come to pass. Local resident and YouTube sensation Randy Wilcox says he can’t wait to add some “upgrades” to his body.

“I never thought that Kokua would offer something that would appeal to a guy like me, but I’d be first in line to get a pair of shark eyes. There’s a lot of other things I’d like to get too. Webbed feet might be cool, maybe some little horns or something awesome looking like that. To tell you the truth, there’s one thing I’d like more than anything else, a tail. I don’t want one to hang off of things like a monkey, or sting people, although that would be great. I want a tail to help me express emotions. We’ve been really focused on lucha libre style wrestling for my channel lately. While it’s a lot of fun, it’s hard to emote with a mask on. Everyone knows how important that connection with the crowd is and it’s really hard when people can’t see your face. But if I had a tail, I could use it to hype the crowd. It’d stand up straight and confident after I landed a drop-kick. I could wag it after a victory. If I was in a sleeper hold, the crowd could see how their cheers pump me up, as may tail goes from between my legs and rises off the mat in rhythm with their shouts. It’d be like having another little wrestler in there, helping to tell the story. I’ve dreamed of having a lot of special things in my future, but never a tail. I can’t wait!”

Despite Randy’s enthusiasm for an augmented body, Kalialani reiterates that the procedure would just extend an already present membrane over the eye, not add appendages. She says, “I don’t know what it is with people on the internet, we have no plans or desires to create tails, fur, big eyes or floppy ears at this time.”

STORYLINE

Burgeoning Hawaiian Lobster Industry Blames Veilcorp For Weaker Shells

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A record number of people across the globe enjoyed cracking open a Hawaiian lobster last year, but that experience depends on one thing – the lobster surviving the journey alive. A growing number of lobster with extremely soft shells have been harvested in Maui waters, and it has the budding industry scrambling for answers. Many are blaming Veilcorp’s controversial Icarus project, and increased levels of 127 in the environment for the deformed crustaceans, but scientists say the cause remains unclear.

Nicknamed “Blobsters” for their soft translucent, in extreme cases almost jelly-like shells. These diseased lobsters are a major concern for fishermen. While Hawaii doesn’t have a long tradition of lobster fishing, changing ocean currents, and fluctuating water temperatures have created a budding industry across the islands. $45 million of Hawaiian lobster left the islands last year for dinner tables across the world, but it is the very conditions that boosted the industry in the first place, that may be its undoing, according to marine biologist Alanai Kalipalani.

“We know that increases in water temperature leads to ocean acidification, and a number of other problems involving mineral imbalances that may be the cause of the extreme changes we are seeing in the lobster,” says Kalipalani. “We’ve been studying the issue of shell softening in crustaceans for decades now, and while the case of these so called blobsters is extreme, we just don’t know enough to place the blame on any one thing. I think since the Icarus project was announced in February, it has become a convenient boogeyman that gets used as a scapegoat for any problem, or unusual natural event we don’t understand. The truth of the matter is epizootic shell disease, and other problems have been on the rise long before the Icarus program. There’s no doubt we should be concerned. I just want the concern pointed in a direction that will lead to results, not just accusations.”

Despite Kalipalani’s doubts about Veilcorp’s involvement, not everyone is as ready to agree with her findings, and take the spotlight off the company. Jake Pilua, one of the biggest seafood distributors on the island, says Veilcorp’s culpability is obvious, and points out Alanai’s ties to the corporation. “Mrs. Kalipalani has been one of the lead researchers in the urchin restoration project for over three years. So I can understand her desire to keep her job, but I’m trying to save an entire industry. Unless people get real honest about the problem, real quick, I’m not sure there will be a commercial lobster fishery in 5 years. The problem is that bad. I’ll concede that shell softening has been a concern for a long time, but there are only a few places in the world where we have seen the blobster phenomena. Those places all have one thing in common; they are near a large veil station. It couldn’t be any clearer that the higher concentrations of 127 in these areas is having an effect on the lobster, and who knows what else. We need answers and solutions, and we need them fast.”

Kalipalani says there are some things distributors like Pilua can do to safeguard their catch, and help get answers to the problem. “We recommend manipulating ion concentrations in the tanks where the lobsters are stored before shipping, and adding mineral supplements to the water. We urge fishermen to document when and where they caught these extremely soft lobsters, and make note of the water temperature, and anything else unusual. If we’re going to solve this problem, we’re going to need to work together.”

The blobster problem may have many fishermen wondering about their futures, but not everyone sees the condition as a concern. In fact, SSHAM founder Art Pua’a says that he’s working on a way to use the shellfish unsuitable for transport in SSHAM’s Lahaina factory. “The test kitchen created a number of blobster infused loaves with some interesting flavor profiles, but one in particular stood out for its texture. We’re calling in Shlobster, and it’s by far the creamiest SSHAM yet. We hope to have cans available in limited markets within a month.”

Restaurateur Bob Abramo is also cashing in on the unusual shellfish, saying blobsters are the most exciting new food he’s seen in years. “They’re cheap, they’re tasty, and you can eat them whole,” says Abramo. “What’s not to love?” The meat mogul is not only offering the soft lobster on his menu, but says he hopes the condition expands to other species.

“One of the worst things about shellfish is that you can’t eat the shells. Clams and mussels are tasty, but the amount of meat you get out in proportion to the shell makes it hardly worth the effort, but if you could pop the whole thing in your mouth….then you’re talking a whole different story. Do you have any idea how much I’d pay to figure out how to jellify pig bones while they’re still in the pig. We’re talking about true snout to tail eating. While all these fishermen are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, they’re missing the big picture. Maybe these animals are just naturally developing to become more delicious. Humans have domesticated many different types of animals for food in our history. It’s possible this is just the beginning of a delectable domestic lobster. If it is, I’m marching into the future with my mind and mouth wide open.”

STORYLINE

Booming Urchin Venom Industry Blamed for Troubling New Fad

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The demand for sea urchin venom for use in medical research has never been greater, and few places have benefited as much as Lahaina. It seems as if a new extraction business is opening on every corner. The industry’s amazing growth (over 200% in the last 6 months alone) has spurred a modern day venom rush. With promising research on the horizon, it seems nothing can stop the urchin train. However, a troubling new fad threatens to derail the venom business in Lahaina. Called “lurchin,” people are ingesting urchin poison, and filming themselves engaging in physical activities, while the poison numbs their nervous system. Participants say it’s nothing more than some harmless fun. Officials call it dangerous, and an incredibly stupid trend.

Over two years ago, Veilcorp’s huge urchin restoration program was met with much anger and push back. Many felt the project was the company’s retribution for a legal suit brought against Veilcorp over the failed rail project. Mayor Cravalho himself argued that the program would ruin beaches and hurt tourism, but a lot can change in a few years.

When Vereserum announced the fast-track release of Echinodone last spring, the urchin business started booming. The powerful pain medication is incredibly safe, with almost no risk of accidental overdose, non-addictive, and derived from sea urchin venom. Instead of crippling the Lahaina economy, the urchin restoration project became an area gold mine almost overnight. It is that boom in the industry, and the availability of urchin venom, that some say is responsible for the “lurchin” fad.

You don’t have to look hard to find videos or pictures of people lurchin around Lahaina, and unfortunately the trend seems to be spreading. Named after the jerky movements the toxin causes, there are hundreds of videos showing people ingesting urchin venom and riding bikes, climbing, skateboarding, or even surfing as the poison suppresses their nervous system, sometimes to the point of temporary paralysis. Craig Luahi’s lurchin videos on Glimpsea and YouTube have been viewed millions of times, and he says there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the practice. “It’s actually very hard and takes a lot of brain power to pull off. Lurchin is not for the weak willed. Imagine your whole body feeling like it’s asleep. You can barely feel your arms, legs, or face. Now imagine trying to jump a skateboard, run across a beam, or climb a tree like that. What we’re doing is pushing the limits of the mind-body connection. We’re not just a bunch of idiots drinking poison for attention. We’re artists!”

Still, dozens have been injured, and officials say it’s only a matter of time before the practice leads to a death. Marine biologist and urchin researcher Dr. Alanai Kalipalani, says the trend is, “beyond stupid.”

“We’ve been deriving medicines from venom for a long time. Cone snail venom has led to painkillers, gila monster venom was used to develop effective diabetes medicines, sea anemone toxins have been used to battle autoimmune diseases, and snake venoms have been vital to the creation of amazing anticoagulant drugs. There just wasn’t a lot of work done with sea urchin venom until the past 3-5 years, and I think the results speak for themselves. I have seen promising research using urchin toxin to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It would be a shame if the actions of a few incredibly stupid people ruin a whole new avenue of medical research. Ingesting urchin venom can cause fatigue, weakness, muscle aches, shock, paralysis, and even respiratory failure. I hope this fad runs it course soon before it causes irreparable harm or lasting injuries.”

Local business owner and Dr. Kalipalani’s brother Ronnie agrees strongly. Owner of Ronnie Kalipalani Construction, Ron says that the fad has cost his business thousands of dollars, and him countless hours of sleep. Kalipalani says many of his work sites have become targets for people lurchin, and he’s had to hire security to keep them away. “I remember the first time we found people lurchin on a site. It was like a nightmare,” he says.

“Mike was the first to notice them when we pulled up in the truck. There was a woman draped over an I-beam, and some feet sticking out of the cement mixer. Another guy was inside the dozer bucket, still half on a bike. I didn’t see any blood, and couldn’t tell if they were alive or not. It was all I could do to get out of the truck and check them out, while the guys called the police. I only got a few feet when I saw another young lady come shuffling around the back, and making a groaning noise. I’ll be honest, it really freaked me out! I ran back to the truck, but the guys had locked the doors. Luckily she fell over before she got to me, otherwise there’s no telling what might have happened. When the cops explained that they had purposely drank urchin venom so they could film themselves playing around the construction site, I couldn’t believe it. I mean, we’ve all done stupid things, me included, but the venom doesn’t make you feel good or anything. If you’re going to do dumb stuff there better be a pay off. I’ve seen some stupid fads in my day, but lurchin has got to be the worst.”

STORYLINE

Hearings Continue Over Alleged Veilcorp Rendition Program

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Imagine returning home from your dream vacation. You’re dreading going back to work the next day and you briefly consider how difficult it would be to call in sick before stepping into the gateway. As your vision clears, you see that you’re not in your local veilstation. You are surrounded by masked people holding weapons. You are forced to your knees and handcuffed. You ask the people who they are and what’s going on. You’re told, “You know why you’re here.” Over the next week you are denied sleep, starved, administered drugs, and accused of being a terrorist. Eventually, your friends and family are threatened and you decide to make up a story to save them and make this all end. However, before you can falsely implicate yourself, you are told a mistake has been made. Suddenly you find yourself home, seconds after you stepped into the gateway as if the previous week never happened. It may sound like the plot to the latest summer blockbuster, but 29-year-old Brian Leets told congress yesterday, that it was his reality.

The weeks after the Veilcorp bombing that claimed 10 lives, including Tracy and Alohi Oeming, was a difficult time for many travelers. Long lines, invasive searches, and increased security protocols had many complaining that ease of Veil travel was now a thing of the past. Rumors began to quickly circulate that the headache and delays were the least of some people’s worries. In the dark corners of the internet, stories began to pop up about holding facilities and people missing while traveling. Environmental groups claimed that members were disappearing and expressed publicly their concerns that the government was operating an extraordinary rendition program with the help of Veilcorp. Those concerns were mostly ignored by the public and denied by officials, until people like Leets began speaking out.

The congressional inquiry into the allegations hasn’t been the swiftest on record, but it has become one of the the most boisterous in the past week. With U.S. Rep. John Kildee leading the charge, the investigation into the scope of the program and the level of Veilcorp involvement has reached fever pitch.

On Monday, Veilcorp attorney Harold Breen testified before an often openly hostile panel. When asked directly about the program, Breen claimed that no such arrangement existed. He acknowledged that on occasion, “Veilcorp works with government or law enforcement officials by providing personal or travel details about certain customers when presented with the proper orders or writs. While it’s true that we can transport people instantly over great spaces, we haven’t become masters of time. To suggest that we are are involved in an alien abduction type scheme that exists outside the realm of reality is absurd. Frankly, the committee should be embarrassed that the question was asked at all. Nonetheless, to be clear, and for the record, we do not grab people while they are veiling and transport them to internment camps.”

Representative Kildee pressed the issue with stories like that of Heather Ward who claims 2 of her employees have disappeared and is so scared that she took a train across country to testify. Ward runs an animal sanctuary that had been accused of working with the radical environmental group Gaia Guard and says that she has been harassed for almost a year. She testified, “Nobody has heard anything from Sarah or Allie for almost 9 months. I have trucks with tinted windows parked across the street all day and night and the police don’t do anything when I call. It takes forever for my phones to work and you can hear people on the other end before you even dial sometimes. Everyone in the community knows what’s going on. I just want it to stop. I’ve spent months looking over my shoulder and I just want some peace.”

Despite Ward’s allegations not everyone in the environmental community is worried about waking up in a detention center. Prominent marine biologist and urchin researcher, Alanai Kalipalani says she’s not concerned. “I work extensively on a number of environmental issues across the globe. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve been involved with conservation projects that blocked Veilcorp expansions or projects. I veil at least twice a month but have never had any problems. I think I can safely speak for the vast majority of the environmental community when I say we have bigger concerns than rumors about secret phantasmal prisons.”

Yesterday’s testimony from Leets however offered the first official account of these detention centers. He detailed days of being kept naked, cold, and awake in a tiny doorless white room while, “hellish Hawaiian elevator music” played constantly. He claims he was asked to sign a confession to being part of Gaia Guard. When he refused he was forced to stand on the balls of his feet or squat for hours until his legs cramped. “I told them that I didn’t know anything about Gaia Guard besides what was in the news. I told them that I belonged to a water conservation group in college but all we did was circulate petitions to have the city’s sewage system upgraded, but they said I was lying.”

Leets claims that he was administered drugs that made him confused but maintains that he was clear headed enough to count the days he was held. He says he only saw a couple other prisoners while he was being detained but heard many more. It is what he didn’t see during his time at the holding facility that has many, including Kildee upset. According to Leets his guards weren’t part of any military or government agency, but were part of a private security force.

After I complained that I had the right to know what I was being accused of, one of the guards said that they weren’t working for the government. He said I didn’t have any rights other than the right to sign my confession. The first time I saw anyone with a government uniform was on the day I was sent home. They weren’t wearing Veilcorp uniforms or hats but it was made clear to me through little comments who they were working for. I can’t explain how they sent me back to the exact time I was going home, but I can’t explain how the veil works either. All I have is the memories from those 6 days. What I want is some answers, and I hope that with the help of Representative Kildee, I’ll get them. If I can prevent even one other person from going through what I did, it will be worth the ridicule and harassment.”

Like Veilcorp, the government acknowledges collaborating with the company in certain cases, but strongly denies any knowledge of a Veilcorp run detention facility or technology capable of doing what Leets claims. The say any such facility, if it exists, would be illegal. Still, Leets testimony was troubling and many are waiting expectantly to see what today’s hearings will unveil.

STORYLINE

DLNR to Reassess Public Involvement In Turtle Tracking Program

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The Green Sea Turtle, also known by their traditional name, Honu, is one of the most important marine animals in Hawaiian waters. A threatened species, scientists have spent years studying the turtles, and trying to determine their range, but tracking one of the planets most elusive creatures can be expensive. That work has been made much easier over the past year, thanks to an innovative turtle “adoption” program started by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Members of the public can purchase a special micro-GPS tracker linked to their phone, which is then affixed to a turtle by conservation specialists. The trackers send location details in real time, providing valuable information to scientists. The program has become very popular, too popular according to some officials. Now, after a number of troubling incidents, including one adopter receiving an exorbitant phone bill, the DLNR says they plan to reassess the program.

Extremely popular with tourists, and an important part of a healthy reef system, the Honu’s are now returning to the islands after spending their spring in their traditional breeding grounds. “They are true natural wonders,” says Alanai Kalipalani, a marine biologist, who works as an advisor for the adoption program. “We’re talking about animals with amazing life journeys. Only about 1 in 5000 survive incubation, and only a fraction of those grow to be adults. Starting off the size of a coin, they can grow to over 5 feet long, and upwards of 700 pounds. Some live to be over 100 years old, and thanks to the adoption program, we know they make regular trips to places as far away as: Alaska, Japan, New Zealand, and even Chile. It’s no wonder that the public is so enamored with these amazing animals. It’s a shame that the actions of a few bad actors has put the program in jeopardy.”

Kalipalani is referring to a number of recent incidents that have some questioning if the program has become too popular. The DLNR says that they have responded to numerous reports of Honu harassment, as tourists and residents alike seek out turtles who haven’t been adopted, and attempt to hold them until they can be fitted with a tracker. Officials say that fights have broken out over some large turtles, as having the turtle that travels the longest has become something of a status symbol among some participants. “We actually just broke up a betting ring with the help of the Lahaina Police,” says DLNR Investigator Greg Iona.

“We receive an anonymous tip about illegal activity, but I was shocked by how large the gambling operation was. Thousands of people worldwide were betting on things like: longest distance traveled, which turtle left territorial waters first, which stayed closest to the islands, the slowest, first to lay eggs after breeding, even whether or not they’d be attacked by a shark. While that was troubling enough, the fact that you could see where these creatures were in real-time on your phone, made life very dangerous for the turtles involved. We found evidence that some of these people were delaying turtles, or even capturing them, and bringing them to certain locations to cash in.”

Officials say they are still running down leads in the case, and more arrests will come soon, but it’s another case involving the tracking programs technology, and a stolen SIM card that has garnered the most attention. Brandon Kama says he and his wife couldn’t have been more thrilled to adopt “Hele” a large 30-year-old female. “She was still breeding age and large, so we knew she’d take long trips, and return to Maui to lay eggs. When she left and headed North we were excited, but we couldn’t believe how far she went. All the way to California, and down the coast she went. Hele went past Baja, then past Mexico, and finally lingered around Costa Rica for a few days. Then nothing. The tracker stopped sending information. We contacted the DLNR, and figured she had been struck by a boat or something. A few weeks later, we got a $4,300 phone bill and figured out what happened.”

Investigators say that at some point while she was near shore, Hele was captured and thieves stole the SIM card from her tracking device. They cloned the card, and used it to wrack up an impressive bill, as well as remotely gather some of Kama’s personal information.

“We know that a few people where using cloned cards, and at least 4 individuals in Punta Arenas have tried to open up credit cards using my information. I really wanted to do the right thing here, but this has turned into nightmare. I wanted to help scientists learn more about these animals in order to help save them, instead thieves are learning all they can about me. Who knew that adopting a marine animal could lead to identity theft?”