Wind: W 4-19 knots
Sea State: calm in morning, rippled in afternoon
Visibility: 10-15 NM
Sky: overcast, then clear from mid morning onwards
Temperature: 13-15 °C
Atmospheric CO2: 412.21 ppm (recorded by NOAA at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii)
Here are the numbers from today’s census:
30 steller sea lions
121 california sea lions
1 sea otter
167 harbour seals
1 bald eagle
2 pelagic cormorants
742 california gulls
518 glaucous-winged gulls
169 gull chicks
4 black oystercatchers
14 pigeon guillemots
1 black turnstone
2 killdeer
I was excited to see the fluffy head of the sea otter this afternoon. This morning when doing the census count from the top of the tower, I scanned the kelp but couldn’t see the otter.
This afternoon, I gave TLC to the boat house, boat and boat dolly.
There was a steady stream of about two or three eco tour or pleasure boats per hour passing through the ecological reserve.
Here are some sights from around Race Rocks today:
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- The lines of the bull kelp in the morning light.
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- The sea lion haul out on Middle Rock.
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- A closer look at the sea lions on Middle Rock. One of the steller sea lions hooked with a fishing flasher is visible in the centre. I haven’t been able to see the other one, which means it could have become unhooked from the flasher or gone for a swim.
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- I thought I could see a large fish head possibly left by an eagle on South Seal Rocks. Upon closer inspection, it’s a gull carcass with feathers scattered around it.
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- A lone pelagic cormorant amongst several california gulls.
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- Can you spot the light brown fluffy head and brown feet of “Ollie” the sea otter? He blends in well amongst the bull kelp.
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- Three black oystercatchers dwarfed by a glaucous-winged gull.