Weather: 

• Blue skies, some clouds
• Visibility 20+ miles
• Wind 5-10 knots W
• Water rippled

Boats/Visitors: 

• Many whale watching vessels today. With the increasing number of sea lions hauling out on great race rock, these eco tourism boats contrast sharply (in relatively close quarters) against the wildlife looking to rest on the rocks.
• The high traffic in conjunction with the sea lions provides a great opportunity to display the proximity of these vessels from the wildlife. See the videos and photos below:

Ecological: 

• An increasing number of sea lions hauling out on all rocks.
• Young seagulls can be seen strengthening their wings, flapping and hopping 3 feet in the air. They play games with sticks and other debris, aggressively keeping the objects from their siblings looks to be practice for protecting precious food in the future.
• Mentioned in a previous post, I was able to get a picture of the sea lion with the identifying gash in its side.

Sea lion with a cut (centre of photo)

Census:

• 350 – 400 seagulls
• 24 harbour seals
• 68 sea lions
• A handful of oystercatchers and cormorants (roughly 5-10 of each)