| Daily Seawater Temperature and Density Record Shore Station | |||||
| Station Race Rocks Lightstation | |||||
| Month: ___October | Year: 2012 | ||||
| ObserverLester B. Pearson College of the Pacific | |||||
| Date | Time | Sea Temp. °C |
Jar Temp. °C |
Hydro- meter No. | Observed Density |
| 1 | 16:00 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 10,802 | 239.0000 |
| 2 | 15:00 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10,802 | 238.0000 |
| 3 | 15:00 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10,802 | 238.0000 |
| 4 | 16:00 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 10,802 | 236.0000 |
| 5 | 10:00 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10,802 | 236.0000 |
| 6 | 11:00 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10,802 | 235.0000 |
| 7 | 11:00 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10,802 | 234.0000 |
| 8 | 11:00 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10,802 | 234.0000 |
| 9 | 11:00 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 10,802 | 235.0000 |
| 10 | 11:00 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 10,802 | 235.0000 |
| 11 | 11:00 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 10,802 | 234.0000 |
| 12 | 12:00 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 10,802 | 234.0000 |
| 13 | 12:00 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 10,802 | 235.0000 |
| 14 | 12:00 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 10,802 | 235.0000 |
| 15 | 13:00 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 10,802 | 238.0000 |
| 16 | 13:00 | 8.8 | 8.9 | n/a | 240.0000 |
| 17 | 14:30 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 10,802 | 241.0000 |
| 18 | 16:00 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 10,802 | 242.0000 |
| 19 | 14:00 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 10,802 | 243.0000 |
| 20 | 15:00 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 10,802 | 243.0000 |
| 21 | 16:00 | 8.3 | 8.4 | n/a | 243.0000 |
| 22 | 17:30 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 10,802 | 243.0000 |
| 23 | 13:00 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 10,802 | 246.0000 |
| 24 | 12:15 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 10,802 | 242.0000 |
| 25 | 13:00 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 10,802 | 242.0000 |
| 26 | 11:00 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 10,802 | 240.0000 |
| 27 | 15:00 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 10,802 | 239.0000 |
| 28 | 15:00 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 10,802 | 241.0000 |
| 29 | 15:00 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 239.0000 | |
| 30 | 15:30 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 239.0000 | |
| 31 | 13:00 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 239.0000 | |
| Mean* | * | 9.2 | 9.3 | 238.6452 | |
| Recorded by Race Rocks Marine Protected Area Guardian | |||||
Monthly Archives: September 2012
The Sad Reality
Sea Lions are tough and resilient animals. They can deal with sharp rocks and pounding waves but like many animals they have difficulties with human plastic products. Sometimes they will swallow salmon that are already hooked, or get snagged by a jigging hook, or they get entangled in strapping bands or nets. The consequences are usually disastrous.
This Steller is dealing with his entanglement but I hope he doesn’t grow too much bigger…
Education is a very important piece in preventing marine debris from getting into the ocean in the first place.It is often a difficult decision when to intervene because of the real possibility of an animal drowning when darting, and often the debris does break off on its own over time (ie many animals with scars from previous entanglements).
This is a recent snag. The animal is still healthy.
Please do what you can to ensure that plastics don’t escape into nature and that if you fish, do it far from marine mammals. The ocean is their home first.
This poor fellow has suffered for a while now.
Even a small hook can handicap a pinniped. This guy doesn’t put weight on the flipper and crawls around on his face. Likely this hook will tear out eventually.
Marine Mammal Tracking at Race Rocks
Records of Sea Lion brands: 
You can see the Ecoguardian’s notes and images of the branded sea lions in the log for 2011-2013 etc. here.
Previous photos and observations of tracking devices prior to 2011 can be seen in this linked file:
For Marine mammal injuries : see https://racerocks.ca/wp/tag/injury/
Also some of the branding images for 2010-2012 are included below:
| sept2 | C868 | Calif Sea lion |  |
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| Sept2 | U178 |  |
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| Sept2 | U262 |  |
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| Sept 10 | C495 | California Sea Lion |  |
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| Sept 10 | 5477 | California Sea Lion |  |
|
| Sept 11 | 6 | Steller Sea Lion |  |
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| Sept 11 | C868 | California Sea Lion |  |
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| Sept 12 | 1046 ? | California Sea Lion |  |
|
| Sept 13 | yellow tag 105_ ? front flipper | Steller Sea Lion |  |
 |
| Sept 14 | O002 | Steller Sea Lion |  |
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| Sept 14 | 909 | California Sea Lion |  |
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| Sept14 2012 | C880 | California Sea Lion |  |
Birds and…
A few different bird species have shown up or passed through in the last few days. 5 Horned Larks (Eremophila Alpestris) stoppped by on its migration south.
Horned Lark
4 or 5 Sparrows (probably Fox) have been here but the little guys are pretty hard to photograph! They rarely stay still and flit away when they see me coming…
Fox Sparrow?
Other birds observed in the last few days (besides the ubiquitous Glaucous-winged Gull) have been:
1 Harlequin Duck
10 Brandts Cormorants
8 Oystercatchers
40 Black Turnstones
1 Surfbird
and, considering all the Sea Lions here, what I can only conclude is a suicidal salmon in the kelp bed!
Lone Salmon
Sept 15th..up to 175 sea lions
Today I used the new seawater pump to fill the cistern which had gotten pretty low. We de-salinate water here for household purposes as there is insufficient rain and the roofs are quite contaminated with gull poop!
The reserve is busy today with tour boats and divers. I had to call one of the companies to ask their operator to slow down at the edge of the reserve. Usually they are pretty good but occasionally a new driver doesn’t realize the reserve boundaries. More troubling are the recreational boaters who frequently speed through the reserve. The problem is that unless you are a local it is unlikely you will know the guidelines. As much as I dislike signs this seems a reasonable place for a few “5 knots” and ” No Fishing” signs. There is simply no way I can ask them to slow down from my perch on Great Race Island…
The California and Steller sea lions are here in droves. I counted more than 175 Stellers in the reserve. The vast majority are bulls but there are a few cows and in the last few days a number of yearlings have shown up. I will get some pictures for the next entry. The view from the tower shows the commotion outside my house!
Hundreds of California Sea Lions adorn the lawn.
In other animal news, quite a few glaucous-winged gulls remain but i think all the chicks can fly now. A few cormorants have returned and about 50 black turnstones wander about between the sea lions picking off insects. I also observed some type of sandpiper picking insects off a dead gull chick. Very resourceful!
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)
Sea Lion Madness
Since the gale on Saturday night, about 75 Steller and 150 Californian sea lions have been hanging out under my window in the shelter of the house. It is hard to describe just how loud and smelly it is. I wish you could witness it for yourself! Well you can at: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/video1frame.htm
Here are a few pictures. The Steller bulls (Eumetopias jubatus) are particularly impressive. Some of them weigh in at 1000 kgs.
Huge Steller Bull
Steller in the Middle
Sea Lions are extremely social and appear boisterous and argumentative. Smaller individuals will always move for the bigger ones, though they roar, growl and hiss in protest. Clashes are very frequent but damage is rare. Most of the contact actually involves just the whiskers (vibrissae), though nips to the skin do happen. Usually a smaller one will snap back in defence then lurch away across the backs of the sleeping neighbours who lazily complain til the commotion stops and they drift back to sleep. 30 seconds later it happens again… all day long and most of the night too!
Sub-adult males playfighting
Sea lion injuries
Gallery
This gallery contains 7 photos.
Mike sent these pictures shortly after arriving back on Race Rocks in September with the notation: “I photographed a few of the walking wounded this afternoon. These pictures show a couple of pretty serious wounds that seem to be on … Continue reading
Back on the Rock
Well it is good to be back on this beautiful little island, though the 100 California Sea Lions cuddling under my window are a tad boisterous and noisy. More arrive everyday…
Dozens of California Sea Lions around the house
The Steller Sea Lions tend to congregate on the south side of the island near the engine room. They truly are magnificent creatures, sort of the equivalent of an ocean grizzly bear. In fact I think “lions” is a misnomer and we should call them “Sea Bears”. What do you think?
Steller Bull congregation
Currently 5 young elephant seals are making good use of the boat ramp. Word is getting out amongst the species that this is a good place to relax and to get your picture on the Internet!
Young Elephant Seal
Perhaps because it is Labour Day weekend and the weather is so nice, there are lots of boats in and around the reserve. Sadly quite a few violate the rules about fishing or speeding in the reserve and unfortunately there is little I can do, except wave or gesticulate at them. Launching my boat is rarely an option, unless I want to disturb the elephant seals, and the boats that are speeding are long gone… As much as I dislike signage, we might be wise to post “No Fishing” and “5 knots” signs to alert the ignorant. It is hard to blame someone who doesn’t know the guidelines.
Many thanks to Julie who worked diligently over the summer to maintain the infrastructure and keep a close eye on things. She is off to southern climes for adventure and learning.