Author Archives: Garry Fletcher

Pearson College Student Field Trips to Race Rocks

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This file is an index to the Student Field trips to Race Rocks after 2010. Most of the Events posted here are in links to the blog created by Laura Verhegge to document some of the field trips taken by her Marine Science classes

For other tagged occurrences of Pearson College students being involved at Race Rocks  documented here  use this link:  


 

 

EVENTS 2018:
Four Trips to Race Rocks in Three Days-Laura Verhegge Oct 2018

 

 

 Northern Elephant Seals at Race Rocks.. The First Year Field Exam, 2017

there were 11 northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) that provided both entertainment and answers to the students writing the exam.

 

Field exam at Race Rocks 2016

On Monday 9 May, 26 Marine Science students travelled to Race Rocks on Hyaku or the Discovery Shuttle (chartered from Ocean River Sports since ‘Second Nature’ is still in the shop) to write their first year field exam.

 

Sea lions, seals and orcas, oh my!

First year marine scientists had a wonderful experience at Race Rocks on Friday September, 2016
Also: Orcas! The trip that never made it to Race Rocks

 

What a day for mammals!. September 30, 2015– 

Later in the day, a first year class was welcomed ashore at Great Race Island by the usual suspects, California sea lions, Stellar sea lions and a Northern elephant seal

Race Rocks visits with Year 41 students

Three great afternoons at Race Rocks with the three blocks of first year Marine Science students – Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. We observed and photographed many sea lions, both California (Zalophus californianus) and Stellar or Northern sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus).

 

Field May 19 2014 – A block

Better late than never, right?  On 16 May 2014, the other class of first year marine scientists (A block) wrote their field exam at Race Rocks.  Here are a few photos of their experience.

 

 

Field Exam 2014 – D block

It was a stunningly beautiful Thursday morning when eight D block marine scientists travelled to Race Rocks to complete their field exam.

 

 

Tidal pools and abiotic factors at Race Rocks

 

 

 

Baby is growing up fast.February 2014
One class of Marine Science students had the chance to visit a newborn Northern Elephant Seal pup when it was just a few days old, during our first week back in class, in January.

 

Pearson College Marine Science Blog by Laura Verhegge.  Race Rocks exploration – 11 April 2013

 

 

Field exam May  2012

It was sunny and warm with a just gentle breeze yesterday when first year marine scientists went to Race Rocks to complete their last challenge of the year – the field exam!

Seawater Data: Salinity and Temperature, October, 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

October -2020:

DATE time Degrees-C Salinity-ppt
 1 13:30 10.5 31.8
2 14:20 10.6 31.7
3 15:00 10.6 31.8
4 15:15 10.5 31.6
5 15:30 10.9 31.1
6 16:15 10.6 31.5
7 16:50 11 30.9
8 –
9 7:00 10.6 30.8
10 7:30 10.4 30.9
11 8:15 10.2 31.2
12 9:45 10.3 31.4
13 10:30 10.2 31.3
14 11:45 10.3 31.5
15 12:00 10.2 31.7
16 12:30 10.1 31.9
17 14:00 9.9 32
18 14:30 10.6 32.3
19 15:00 9.7 32.1
20 16:00 9.8 32
21 16:30 10 31.7
22 –
23 7:30 9.9 31.6
24 9:00 9.7 31.5
25 10:00 9.6 31.2
26 10:30 9.4 31.5
27 11:00 9.7 31.3
28 12:00 9.7 31.4
29 12:40 9.8 31.2
30 13:00 9.8 31.6
31 13:30 9.7 31.9

The Origins of an Ecological Reserve-Trev Anderson turns 100

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Trevor Anderson at age 100

On October 22nd  we were invited to the 100th year  birthday party for Trevor Anderson, the light keeper at Race Rocks when it became an Ecological Reserve. Trev and Flo Anderson had arrived at Race Rocks with their family in 1966, and served at the station until they had built a boat and left to sail across the Pacific Ocean in 1982. They had been married for 70 years in 2014  and  Flo Anderson passed away in 1977.

  I first met the Andersons in 1976 and the students from Lester Pearson College in the Diving Marine Science and Biology programs started coming out to the Islands for field trips and SCUBA diving, with some even spending their project weeks studying and working at the islands. Students in the Diving and Sea Rescue Services at Pearson College developed a close relationship with these neighbours 5 km out at sea. After many of our dive sessions whenour students were invited into their home for tea and cookies, the students would talk excitedly about the incredible sea-life they were seeing at under water. In the late 1970s we started to visit Race Rocks more frequently and the Andersons invited students to stay on project weeks. 

Trev and Flo were the first to plant the seed of an idea urging us to see if we could get the government to do some formal recognition and protection of the Race Rocks Area.  What they could see at low tide alone was impressive enough, but if the underwater life also could be protected, that would be ideal.  In the years 1997 and 1998 we recorded the unique life underwater by logging dives from over 80 locations throughout the Race Rocks archipelago, and by February of 1979 a highly successful workshop took place, with officials invited from the Provincial Museum, the University of Victoria, and the Ministry of Parks who were all enthusiastic and supportive of our proposal.

Throughout that year we worked at the task of formalizing our proposal, presenting it to cabinet and lobbying to get action. Two students in diving and marine science, Johan Ashuvud from Sweden and Jens Jensen from Denmark were especially relentless in their pursuit of our goal. The proposal had to clear 11 agencies in the government bureaucracy and the cabinet before the Reserve could be proclaimed. These two students invited the Director of the Ecological reserves Branch Bristol Foster, and the Deputy Minister of Parks Tom Lee out to dive and then kept following it up with phone calls, even after hours! Their persistence finally paid off when after a year, the shortest time any reserve proposal has ever taken, the Minister of Parks was able to request Prince Charles on his visit to the college as international board president (April 1980) to make the formal announcement proclaiming Race Rocks the 97th Provincial Ecological Reserve.

The day we received the information that the reserve was proclaimed by the Ecological Reserves Branch of the Ministry of Lands Parks and Housing, The group of students who had worked so hard on the proposal went out to Race Rocks to give the news to Trev and Flo and present them with a very unofficial looking sign. 

 

The next week Trev and Flo asked the group of students who had worked so hard to establish the Ecological Reserve to come out to the island one afternoon where they presented the students with medals and “The Order of Race Rocks” as recognition and appreciation for their work in creating the Ecological reserve. 

 


Trev, Hans, Johan, Iina, Garry, Jens and Flo

 

FER Board member Garry Fletcher taught at Lester Pearson College from 1996 to 2004 and has been the ecological reserve warden for Race Rocks since 1980.

 

Seawater Data: Temperature and Salinity September, 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

September -2020:

DATE time Degrees-C Salinity-ppt
1 14:00 11.6 31.1
2 15:00 11.8 31
3 15:30 11.2 31.3
4 16:00 12.1 31.2
5 16:30 11.7 31.5
6 17:05 12.1 32.1
7 17:30 11.6 32.1
8 18:00 11.8 31.9
9 18:20 12 30.6
10 7:30 11.8 30.4
11 8:00 12 30.5
12 9:30 11.9 30.4
13 10:30 11.9 30.4
14 11:45 11.8 30.4
15 12:30 11.8 30.8
16 13:00 11.6 31
17 13:30 11.4 31.5
18 14:00 11 31.7
19 15:00 11.1 31.6
20 16:00 10.8 31.8
21 16:30 9.1 32.8
22 17:40 9.8 32.1
23 18:00 9.7 32.5
24 8:00 9.9 31.8
25 9:30 10.4 31.5
26 10:30 10.3 31.6
27 11:30 10.5 31.4
28 12:30 10.9 31.7
29 13:00 10.8 31.6
30 13:40 10.7 31.5

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Plastic band removed from neck of Greater Victoria sea lion

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From The Goldstream Gazette A Marine Mammal Rescue Centre veterinarian removes a plastic packing band from the neck of a Stellar’s sea lion at the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve on Sept. 10. (Courtesy of Mara Radawetz)

Plastic band removed from neck of Greater Victoria sea lion

Entanglement injuries in seals and sea lions a regular occurrence at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve

  • Sep. 10, 2020 12:00 a.m.
  • NEWS

A sea lion trapped in human garbage has a second chance at life thanks to the sharp eye of a lighthouse-dwelling ‘ecoguardian’ at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve near Metchosin.

Mara Radawetz and Kai Westby, who live in the island’s lighthouse tower and monitor the reserve on behalf of Pearson College, called in back-up support when Radawetz spotted a California sea lion with a plastic packing band tightly bound around its neck on Sept. 1.

Over the days that followed, the duo spotted the animal again and watched it expressing clear discomfort as a result of the appendage.

“We could see that it was suffering, he would continually scratch at the infected area on his neck,” Westby said. “It had cut through his skin and created a kind of swollen, wet wound.”

The Marine Mammal Rescue Centre (MMRC), assisted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, responded to the call for help, but it would be a few days before the rescue could arrive by boat.

Fortunately, the rescue team arrived Sept. 10 and Radawetz was able to again spot the injured sea lion using a high-powered magnification lens from the top of the lighthouse, where the duo does a daily count of the island’s furry, feathered and blubbery visitors, which typically number in the thousands.

READ ALSO: Sooke Whale Watching spots a huge gathering of whales

“Being able to have that eye in the sky was instrumental in being able to successfully help this animal,” Westby said.

With a bird’s eye view, the pair guided MMRC veterinarian Martin Haulena to an area where he could prepare a dart gun with a tranquillizer. Rescue staff aided from the water and land, watching as Haulena crawled over the rocks and got into position, successfully tranquillizing the sea lion.

A sea lion that had a plastic band removed from its neck at the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve wakes up from sedation.(Courtesy of Mara Radawetz)

In addition to removing the plastic band, the vet installed a tracking device and took a blood sample.

Radawetz and Westby said they see a sea lion or harbour seal with an injury due to human impact roughly once a week – and many of those animals don’t have a happy ending.

“We often see not only plastic entanglements but fishing line injuries on the sea lions and the harbour seals,” Radwetz said. The pair said they often see pinnipeds – seals, sea lions and walruses – that have swallowed a fish still on a fishing line, a meal that can cost the animal its life.

“It’s not always possible for us to help them,” Radawetz said.

While one lucky sea lion was able to swim free, Westby and Radawetz hope the incident resonates with people.

Westby added, “I really hope by sharing some of what we see here we can remind people that their actions have impacts and we are seeing those impacts here in Race Rock.”

In September 2019, a sea lion with almost identical injuries was rescued at the Race Rock Ecological Reserve. That animal had a plastic band embedded roughly two inches into its neck.

For more news from Vancouver Island and beyond delivered daily into your inbox, please click here.

READ ALSO: Steller sea lion with plastic around neck rescued on Vancouver Island

Sea Lion Rescued Near Victoria (Times Colonist , Sept 9, 2020)

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From: https://www.timescolonist.com/sea-lion-rescued-near-victoria-with-plastic-band-around-its-neck-1.24199804

Veterinarian Martin Haulena from the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre attends to the injured sea lion.

photo: MARA RADAWETZ

 

 

 

A sea lion with a plastic packing band cinched around its neck was rescued near Race Rocks on Sunday, thanks to the combined efforts of rescue teams from Victoria and Vancouver.

The struggling sea lion was first spotted by Mara Radawetz, who lives in the decommissioned lightkeepers’ residence at Race Rocks, just off the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Radawetz, who monitors the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve with partner Kai Westby on behalf ­Metchosin’s Pearson College, saw the sea lion several times during the week in nearby Juan de Fuca Strait, and said the marine ­mammal was clearly in distress.

“He was scratching constantly at his wounds, which were cutting into his skin,” ­Radawetz said.

She contacted Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, Canada’s only dedicated marine mammal rescue facility and one of the largest rescue facilities in the world, to help free the sea lion from the plastic packing band wrapped around its neck.

Two large Zodiac boats ­carrying the rescue team and several veterinarians arrived Sunday morning, and quickly found the sea lion, Westby said. After being given a tranquilizer ­injection by veterinarian Martin Haulena from the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, the sea lion was brought onto the shores of Race Rocks and treated.

The plastic band was removed and tracking tags were attached to the animal’s front flippers. A blood sample was also taken, to assist with future studies. After being given a drug to reverse the effects of the tranquilizer, the sea lion was back swimming within minutes, Westby said. “It was great to see them help out an animal that was in such great pain.”

Suffering caused by man-made material such as plastic is an increasingly common problem among sea lions, Westby said. As permanent residents on Race Rocks, he and Radawetz see their share of injuries to sea lions.

“It can be pretty sad to see. They live for 20 years or 30 years, and as the animal grows, the band cuts through its skin. It becomes a really painful-looking wound.”

mdevlin@timescolonist.com

Diving with Sea lions –and foolish diver behaviour

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I am posting these videos from Youtube here with a precautionary warning; The behaviours demonstrated by some the divers could be very dangerous. Trying to touch sealions and putting a hand in their mouth and even staying in the water when they get agitated is very unwise. When a sealion starts snapping his teeth at an intruder it is best to move on.  A sealion bite can be very toxic, and they have been known to ram into divers , especially if a diver enters a zone where they have been actively  hunting for fish.  Department of Fisheries regulations warn against any interaction with marine mammals

 

 

Seawater Data: Temperature and Salinity July 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

July -2020:

Date Salinity ppt. deg C LAT. LONG.
2020-07-01 30.6 11.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-02 30.8 10.9 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-03 31.1 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-04 31.3 10.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-05 31 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-06 30.7 10 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-07 31.6 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-08 31.6 10.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-09 31.7 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-10 31.7 10.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-11 31.5 10.5 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-12 31.5 10.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-13 31.5 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-14 30.9 11.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-15 31 11.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-16 30.8 11.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-17 30.9 12 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-18 31.8 11.7 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-19 30.1 11.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-20 29.9 10.7 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-21 30.1 12.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-22 30 11.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-23 30.4 11.5 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-24 31 11.3 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-25 31.1 11.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-26 31.8 12 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-27 30.4 10.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-28 31 11.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-29 30.6 11.5 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-30 30.6 11.3 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-07-31 30.8 11.3 48.2979 -123.5316

Seawater data, June 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

June -2020:

Date Salinity ppt. deg C LAT. LONG.
2020-06-01 31.5 10.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-02 31.4 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-03 31.5 10.5 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-04 32 9.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-05 31.7 10 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-06 31.7 9.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-07 32.1 9.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-08 32.1 9.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-09 31.9 9.9 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-10 31.4 10.7 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-11 31.6 10 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-12 31.5 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-13 31.3 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-14 31.3 10.5 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-15 31.2 10.5 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-16 31.2 10.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-17 31 11.3 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-18 31.2 10.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-19 31.6 10.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-20 31.7 10.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-21 31.9 9.9 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-22 31.8 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-23 31.9 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-24 31.8 10.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-25 31.9 10.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-26 31.7 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-27 31.5 10.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-28 31.4 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-29 31.9 10.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-06-30 31.6 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316

Seawater Data, Temperature and Salinity May 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

May -2020:

Date Salinity ppt. deg C LAT. LONG.
2020-05-01 32 9.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-02 31.9 9.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-03 31.8 9.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-04 32.2 8.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-05 32.2 9.3 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-06 32.2 9.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-07 32.4 9.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-08 32.3 9.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-09 32.4 9.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-10 32.3 9.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-11 31.9 9.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-12 31.7 10 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-13 31.7 9.7 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-14 31.6 9.9 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-15 31.4 10 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-16 31.4 9.9 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-17 31.2 10.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-18 31.3 10.4 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-19 31.4 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-20 31.3 10.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-21 31.7 9.8 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-22 31.3 10 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-23 31.4 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-24 31.8 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-25 31.3 10.3 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-26 31.1 10.5 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-27 31 10.6 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-28 31.6 10.1 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-29 31.4 10.2 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-30 31.3 10 48.2979 -123.5316
2020-05-31 31.5 10 48.2979 -123.5316