I, too had wondered about her possibly arriving in Hawaii (or even Seattle) by ship.
Isn’t there a fair amount of time where no one can place Stanley Ann anywhere?
Could be that Obama, Sr. put her on a “slow boat” back home.
IMO, if Ann went to Kenya in spring 1961 by ship, and then high-tailed it out as soon as the baby was born, I see her using the airlines as the way to get to Seattle, LAX or SFO in late August 1961 as the most reasonable scenario.
Perhaps instead of going to Santa Cruz, Blake really went to LAX or SFO to pick up a friend and her newborn at the airport and take them back with her to Seattle ... it’s not like rent-a-cars were prevalent in those days.
Has anyone done a POE check for a Dunham or Obama arrival through LAX or SFO in August 1961?