Eco tour traffic

California Sea Lion: 7
# of sealions at the NE haul out (first of a series of daily reports).
Saw an abalone for the first time in 3 years while on a dive today.

Human Interaction
At 0829hrs PDT a floatplane flew under 1000 ft from E to W over Rosedale Reef.
A pod of orcas passed through Race Passage (W to E) this afternoon. At one point, at least 15 whale watching vessels were in pursuit. Subsequently, heavy eco-tour traffic was experienced in the Reserve this afternoon. Most vessels respected established guidelines, but there were a few notable exceptions:
1. Birds of a Feather approached within 100 metres of California sea lions hauled out near the jetty. The sealions did not upset as there was already activity on the jetty.
2. A vessel from Seaquest based out of Sidney was observed speeding into the east side of the Reserve, well within the limits of the 7 knot speed restriction, then later observed speeding out in the same direction.
3. Several other vessel were observed speeding within the boundaries of the Reserve, either to obtain a better vantage point for viewing whales or to shorten travel time to the whales once the whales had moved well past Race Rocks.
Luke came out to RR to dive this afternoon with Adam to help take measurements of the materials testing platform and for pleasure. Erik and Hao also arrived as did a contact from \”The Big Blue Technologies\” of Victoria and his two young kids.

There were 6 visitors to the island today.

1 lonely Cal. sea lion

California Sea Lion: 1
Human Interaction

At 0952hrs PDT a Prince of Whales vessel was spotted ripping out of the main channel heading westbound into the Strait.

At 1130hrs PDT a small, white, fibreglass vessel was spotted entering the west side of the Reserve and transiting at high speed around West Race before leaving the Reserve and heading in the direction of Pedder Bay.

Vessel infractions

A double-crested cormorant was spotted on the rocks on the east side of Great Race at 2040hrs PDT.
Human Interaction:

At ~1400hrs PDT a vessel was spotted fishing on the E side of the South Rocks kelp bed. The station vessel was launched and the vessel was found to be in 106 ft. of water. The four older folks on board proved to be extremely friendly and stated that they had just purchased the boat the week before and it was their very first time on the water! We actually had a great 20 minute conversation about Race Rocks, fishing restrictions, how to distinguish between different types of salmon and general boating practices (how to use a VHF!). The folks were very happy to find out the area was protected and happily moved to deeper waters.
At ~1430hrs PDT a large aluminum vessel entered the W side of the main channel, slowed to look at sea lions on Middle Race, then sped through the main channel to North Race where they approached extremely close to seals hauled out on the rocks.
At ~1445hrs PDT a small aluminum vessel was spotted fishing on the W corner of the North Race kelp bed.

There was 1 visitors to the island today.

Private boat infractions again

Human Interaction
At 0845hrs PDT a vessel was spotted speeding through the SW side of the Reserve in the fog.
At 0958hrs PDT a vessel was spotted speeding W to E over Rosedale Reef.
At ~1100hrs PDT two vessels were spotted fishing at North Race. By the time the station vessel was launched and on scene, the vessels had departed.
At ~1120hrs PDT a vessel was spotted entering the Reserve from the NW at high speed. It slowed as it passed the station vessel.
At ~1130hrs PDT a vessel was spotted entering the main channel from the E. It slowed while it transited the passage then sped up as it exited the Reserve.
At 1214hrs PDT a vessel passed from E to W through the passage between North Race and Middle race at a speed capable of producing significant wake.
At 1215hrs PDT a vessel passed W to E over Rosedale Reef at very high speed.
At ~1400hrs PDT a small aluminum vessel was spotted speeding out of the Reserve. The station vessel, already on the water nearby, chased the vessel down and asked the mariners to slow down. They were friendly and complied.
At 1709hrs PDT an OBMG vessel was spotted speeding into the Reserve near North Race. The vessel transited the main passage slowly then provided to speed up and circle West Race before heading back to PB.
At 1746hrs PDT a large fibreglass cabin cruiser was spotted trolling in close proximity to West Race within the limits of the RCA and pulling up fish. The station vessel was launched and the friendly persons on board happily agreed to move their fishing activities elsewhere.
At 1845hrs PDT two vessels travelling side by side passed at high speed from SE to NW over Rosedale Reef.
There were 4 visitors to the island today.

Trev and Flo Anderson visit Race Rocks

Trevor and Flo Anderson, lightkeepers at Race Rocks from July 28, 1966 until March 2, 1982 had a very pleasant visit at Race Rocks today. Trev and Flo provided endless stories of their 16 years here and certainly provided some historical tidbits for our benefit. Many, many things have changed on the Island since the Anderson’s time. Garry accompanied while Erik drove the boat.

Misery took his time in occupying the pathway as we were trying to get by.
There were 4 visitors to the island today.

Profile : Trev and Flo Anderson Connections with Pearson College 1976-1982

redtower-1When Trev and Flo Anderson arrived at Race Rocks with their family in 1966, the old generator building was painted red and had a tall tower attached for the foghorn. By the mid-1970’s when we started coming out from Pearson College, the buildings were painted white. In 1978, the last of the wooden structures of the generator room were torn down and the present square block concrete building was erected.


lamp76-1“When I first went over to Race Rocks in 1976, the light was made up of four 1000 watt bulbs, with one in the top position on at all times. When the bulb burnt out, it would automatically change positions with a new bulb. The light floated on a platform on a bath of mercury to reduce friction. Years later, Trev wonders how many light keepers were affected by the vapors given off from such mercury sources. In 1978, a beacon was installed that relied on more sophisticated electronics to send out a powerful beam . It wasn’t until after the Andersons left the station that the basin of mercury was replaced with a newer design with 8 beams. ( see lights file)

The book by Flo Anderson above is available from Harbour Publishing, P.O. Box 219 Madeira Park, B.C. V09-2H0
phone: 604-883-2730  fax: 604-883-9451 e-mail: harbour@sunshine.net  To order direct from the publisher, pre-payment is required by cheque or Credit Card. GST for purchases in Canada, postage extra, No duty or GST in purchases from the US.  Cost is $18.95(CAN)

38Link for this  profile of Flo Anderson:

Flo Anderson was born in Victoria, B.C. She and her husband Trevor and their four children lived at five different B.C. lighthouse stations from 1961 to 1982. In December of 1961, her family left Vancouver to start life anew at the light station on Lennard Island, near Tofino. There wasn't a furnace. She used an old wood stove for heat and cooking, collecting driftwood for burning. She didn't meet anyone else on the island for weeks. "Writing about Lennard Island was very painful for me," she told interviewer Marianne Scott, "Life was traumatic. I was so naive. Recounting it all was therapy. Lots of people have this romantic view of living at a lighthouse. That's why I wrote about it." In 1963, Trevor Anderson became senior keeper at Barrett Rock, seven miles beyond Prince Rupert. Four months later they were sent to McInnes Island in Millbanke Sound, between Prince Rupert and Vancouver Island. Fourteen months later, they were relocated to northernmost staffed lighthouse in Canada, Green Island. In July of 1966 they were transferred to the southernmost point on the Canadian Pacific, Race Rocks, where they spent 16 years. As of 1974, they spent seven years building a yacht in whatever spare time they could find. "All the wives were part-time lighthouse keepers," she has recalled. "Unpaid, of course. It was just expected. When the man was away, the wife filled the gap." Trevor Anderson took early retirement in 1982, the year they launched their 44-foot wooden ketch, WaWa the Wayward Goose, circumnavigating Vancouver Island in 1983. For thirteen years they lived about their boat, once sailing as far as the South Pacific and New Zealand. Flo and Trevor Anderson came ashore in 1995 and now live in Sidney, B.C. At age 70 she wrote Lighthouse Chronicles: Twenty Years on the B.C. Lights (Harbour Publishing), published in 1988.

[BCBW 2003]


Flo Anderson’s The Lighthouse Chronicles (Harbour $18.95) explores her life as a lighthouse keeper on isolated areas of the B.C. coast. 1-55017-181-X

[BCBW WINTER 1998]

lightbw78-1

Photo by Trev and Flo Anderson

trevandflowvideoTrev and Flo return to Race Rocks for a visit and an
interview with ChekTV in the mid
1990’s 

 

 

Igftrevandflo050811t was in 1978 that Trev and Flo Anderson started encouraging students and faculty from Pearson College to seek some kind of protection for underwater Race Rocks. The result was the creation of the Race Rocks Ecological reserve. 33 years later, on August 5, 2011, now retired and living in Victoria, they returned to see the results of the efforts.
Adam Harding’s comment in the daily log tells about it.
“Trevor and Flo Anderson, lightkeepers at Race Rocks from July 28, 1966 until March 2, 1982 had a very pleasant visit at Race Rocks today. Trev and Flo provided endless stories of their 16 years here and certainly provided some historical tidbits for our benefit. Many, many things have changed on the Island since the Anderson’s time. Garry accompanied while Erik drove the boat.”

In 2014 Trev and Flo celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. At that time they still lived in Victoria BC.

Flo Anderson passed away in 1997..https://www.racerocks.ca/flo-anderson-in-memoriam/ 

Trev celebrated his 100th birthday on October 22 , 2020

Trev had indicated that he had donated several artifacts from Race Rocks to the BC Maritime museum so we went in search of those items on May 22, 2014:


Article in Pacific Yachting magazine by Marianne Scott on Trevor Anderson 2019

boats and planes!

Human Interaction
At 0835hrs PDT a floatplane flew W to E over the south side of the Reserve under 1000 ft.

At 1035hrs PDT a small RHIB entered the east side of the Reserve near North Race at high speed. The vessel proceeded to transit the main passage to the south side of Middle Race where they approached within 30 metres of harbour seals on the Rocks. At least 25 seals took flight to the water.

At ~1100hrs PDT a vessel was spotted entering the Reserve from the east at high speed.

At ~1330hrs PDT a vessel was spotted transiting the main passage at very high speed. Communication was made with the vessel and it slowed.

At 1510hrs PDT an Oak Bay Marine Group vessel was spotted fishing within the limits of the Reserve. Pedder Bay Marina was alerted. The vessel was halted by another recreational fishermen before PBM staff could respond.

At 1515hrs PDT an OBMG vessel was spotted speeding in the waters west of Great Race. The vessel eventually departed.

At 1515hrs PDT a recreational vessel was spotted fishing near West Race. The station vessel was launched to intercept the violators and they departed shortly thereafter.

At ~1900hrs PDT a recreational vessel was spotted speeding into the eastern portion of the Reserve in the direction of the North Race-Middle Race channel. The vessel slowed before entering the channel.

Divers from Ocean Educations arrived in the afternoon to dive off the front side of the island.

There were 18 visitors to the island today.

Pleasure: 10 Eco-Tour: 5