Ecological Notes:
- 1 Adult Female Elephant Seal is regularly here now, with nearly daily dips in the water. Sometimes she spends an awful amount of time bellowing…. maybe a “call out” to others?
- The Elephant Seal pup also visits the water daily, and tends to move around avoiding the adult, although I have not seen any negative interactions between them. One day I noticed her watching quite closely as I came and left from the house … When I came in for the evening, a student got a video of her following my to the house and then playing against the door.
- Gulls and Oyster Catchers are still paired off well, haven’t detected any nests yet.
- Some of the Canada Geese pairs looks like they have given up nesting for the season, but I search daily as they sometime just move to a new location to nest.
- Averaging every other day, Orca are passing the reserve, occasional far offshore sightings of Humpback Whales, and even a Gray Whale
Visitors:
- Hosted students and chaperone from the Westcoast Adventure Tourism college for their 3 day course on Marine Mammals of the Salish Sea …. Filled out with tour and discussion on Race Rocks, as well as the students helped with tasks, and those that were interested learned about the Eco-Guardian tasks and responsibilities
- One set of Pearson College students did an overnight visit
- 2 sets of students came over for their intertidal transects
Facility Work:
- Greg did a rebuild of the composting toilet in the student and science center
- Regular fuel transfers and battery maintenance
- Scheduled Oil, oil filter, and fuel filter changes on the generator
- Checked oil level and all connections on the desalinator
- Thorough cleaning of the solar panels
- Pressure washed the main path to the main house and surrounding landings
- Moved logs up to the bucking area, and cleaned up a lot of the “garbage” wood around top of the boat ramp
- Electric fence repairs as usual
- Richard continued the dismantling of the old generator, as well as cover holes left in the walls from removed pipes and vents
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Some commercial Eco-Tourism vessels and private vessels in the reserve, no noted infractions
Other:
- During both my regular career, and travelling, I don’t get much time cook … on of the pleasures of being at Race rocks is the time to cook better meals!
Butter Chicken with vegetables, over basmati rice!
Weather Events:
- Monday, April 13:
- Sky: mostly clear, some haze
- Wind: W 20-35kts
- Sea: 2 to 3′ chop
- Temperature Low 8oC, High 10.4oC
- Tuesday, April 14:
- Sky: overcast, with occasional rain squalls throughout the day
- Wind: wind back and forth from W to S, 5-15kts
- Sea: light chop
- Temperature Low 7.2oC, High 8.6oC
- Wednesday, April 15:
- Sky: mostly clear
- Wind: W 15-25 kts
- Sea: l2 ft chop most of the day
- Temperature Low 5.5oC, High 11oC
- Thursday, April 16:
- Sky: slight overcast
- Wind: W 5 kts rising to 22kts late in the day
- Sea: light chop turning to low waves by evening
- Temperature Low 7.5oC, High 11.2oC
- Friday, April 17:
- Sky: light overcast
- Wind: W 15 kts, backing to SE and dropping to near 0kts late afternoon, backing to WNW during the evening
- Sea: light chop turning to high waves by evening
- Temperature Low 7.5oC, High 11.2oC
- Saturday, April 18:
- Sky: mixed high cloud and clear
- Wind: ENE veering to WSW throughout the day, rising to 15 kts mid morning, then dropping to 5kts by end of day
- Sea: light chop
- Temperature Low 5.9oC, High 12.7oC
- Sunday, April 19:
- Sky: mostly clear
- Wind: primarily E 10-15kts, brief rise to 20kts
- Sea: light chop
- Temperature Low 8.0oC, High 14.9oC
- Monday, April 20:
- Sky: High overcast, with brief sunny patches
- Wind: Veered throughout the day from NE to W …5 -25kts, rising higher in the evening
- Sea: 3 ft chop when wind was with tide
- Temperature Low 8.3oC, High 18oC
** Any wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Weather – Current:
https://tempestwx.com/station/190757/
Weather – Past:
https://tempestwx.com/history/190757