Author Archives: Carol and Mike Slater

Orca through the reserve.

Posted on by
Thursday, February 21, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.0C Min. 5.1C  Reset 8.0C  Rain 42.2 mm
MARINE LIFE: 2 mature 1 immature Bald Eagles, 2 pairs of Geese
-The Pearson College Divers, on their way to Church Island, passed 6 Orca moving Eastward through Race Passage. One bull, one female , several immature, one smaller calf: all moving slowly, shallow dives, no whale watching boats in site! (recorded by Garry)
WEATHER: as you see it was a wet one out here today. the wind was up in the morning North 17 by 10:00 it was very light
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:17 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast  Vis. 10 Miles Moderate Rain  Wind North 17 Knots  Sea 3-4 Foot Moderate with Low North East Swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:57 AM

Eagles and geese

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Monday, February 18, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 7.8C Min. 5.9C Reset 6.5C  Rain 1.0 mm
MARINE LIFE: 16 mature 7 immature Bald Eagles,2 pairs of geese
on the island today.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 2 nd Nature out with visitors this morning,
and back in the afternoon for a dive off west race.
1 pleasure boat through M.P.A. today
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:33 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 4 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:14 AM

Students out from College for a webcast

Posted on by
Thursday, February 14, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 7.9C  Min. 3.9C  Reset 6.0C
MARINE LIFE: 13 mature, 2 immature Bald Eagles. The Geese spent the day in the Northeast quadrant of Gr. Race, then just after dark we heard them move around to the grass area by the tower, maybe to spend the night out of the wind.
HUMAN INTERACTION: College boats out with Angus, Garry, Chris and students about 9:30 to do a live webcast,not the best weather wind wise – a cold 13 knts. from the north but at least it was sunny! Everyone was rewarded on the trip back to campus with an unexpected ‘ interlude’ with an Orca – most likely transient- just outside the entrance to Pedder Bay. The lone bull was moving westward not too far off shore and although we had to watch him through the telescope it is always exciting to get even a glimpse.Garry and students returned for a dive at 3p.m. Left for the campus about 4:45 p.m. 2 Pleasure craft through the reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:06 PM

Canada Geese like tulips

Posted on by
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 7.1C Min. 3.3C  Reset 6.9C
MARINE LIFE: 11 mature, 2 immature Bald Eagles today and still the 6 Geese which ‘discovered’ some nice green shoots that would have been daffodils and tulips in the coming weeks! oh well, it was fun to watch them trying to pull them up.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 Tour Boat through the reserve.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:06 PM

Harlequins

Posted on by
Monday, February 11, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.1C  Min. 2.0C Reset 5.1C  Rain 3.0 mm
MARINE LIFE: 13 mature, 4 immature Bald Eagles today. The 6 Canada Geese spent the day in the area around the Learning Centre. They kept an eye on Mike as he power washed the sidewalks but did not seem bothered by the activity.The Elephant Seal was hauled out on the rocks just below the tower in the morning and then spent most of the afternoon floating about in the East Bay.There were 7 Harlequin Ducks (4 male) also in the east bay area all morning, then saw them later much farther off shore towards the east.Counted 123 Cormorants today.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 pleasure craft through the reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:22 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy  Vis 15 Miles  Wind West 7 Knots Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:10 AM

Close call with log boom

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Saturday, February 09, 2002

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.2C Min 5.7C  Reset 6.9C Rain 0.6
MARINE LIFE: 13 mature, 2 immature Bald Eagles today.The day started out quite nice but by noon the wind was up to 20knts. from the northeast with a fair swell coming into the dock area and the lone California Sea Lion that had hauled out on the end of the dock kept moving ‘inland’ to get away from the spray. He looked old and quite thin and was still there as it got dark. We now have 6 Canada Geese which are very definitely pairs. Today they spent foraging in the southwest quadrant of Gr. Race, somewhat sheltered from the wind.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Although not quite in the reserve the tug Rivtow Capt. Bob and barge Rivtow Hercules with a full load of raw logs passed very close to the Rosedale buoy heading east. Usually these tugs are much farther out to sea near the shipping lanes.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:14 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind North East 11 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:29 AM

5 m long elephant seal

Posted on by
Friday, March 08, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 4.0C  Min. -2.2C  Reset 2.9C  Snow 6.0 cm = 6.0mm
MARINE LIFE: 2 mature Bald Eagles arrived a little after 10 a.m. and left 11:45- don’t think they like the weather any more than we do! 2 pair of Geese today, they spent most of the time down by the desalination plant building and there are now 2 bull Elephant Seals hauling out on the boat ramp-Mike paced out the bigger one to just over 5 m long.Feel sorry for the birds with this unseasonable weather , hope it does not last as the rhubarb has started to leaf up nicely.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:07 PM
Good Afternoon
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 12 Miles  Wind West 19 Knots  Sea 3 Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 2:29 PM

Elephant seal activity

Posted on by
Friday, February 08, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.3C Min. 5.0C  Reset 6.7C  Rain 3.6 mm
MARINE LIFE: 11 mature , 6 immature Bald Eagles today. 3 Canada Geese flew in from the direction of Bentinck Island just after noon and spent the afternoon in the area in front of the Learning Centre. 1 juvenile Northern Elephant seal hauled out in the east bay early a.m.A large bull Elephant seal spent most of the afternoon floating along the south shore of Gr. Race and think it must be the one that is now in the water just east of the boat dock vocalizing but it is too dark to see.We hear them just about every night when the wind is not blowing over 20 knts.I don’t know if they answer to each others calls but will hear one call close by and seconds later hear another call that is farther away, coincidence or communication?
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 small pleasure craft through the reserve.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:15 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 11 Know — Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:29 AM

Moon Jellies

Posted on by
Thursday, February 07, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.0C Min. 4.9C  Reset 6.1C Rain 4.0 mm
MARINE LIFE: 9 mature and 6 immature Bald Eagles today.There were no Moon Jellyfish in the water today, just three that had stranded in the gravel. A couple of crows and one immature gull did some ‘investigating’ but quickly lost interest.No Canada Geese today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:15 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind Calm Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:16 AM

More jellyfish

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Wednesday, February 06, 2002
Good Evening

TEMPERATURE: Max. 7.1C  Min. 4.9C Reset 5.1C  Rain 6.2 mm
MARINE LIFE: 8 Mature and 6 immature Bald Eagles today, and we are back to 5 Canada Geese which although not exactly tame do allow us to get within a few metres before hissing a warning and waddling away.The Black Oyster Catchers are still spending some time in their traditional nest and feeding areas in the early morning and again in the late afternoon, the rest of the time they spend in a group of 22-24 along the south side of Gr. Race. There were 19 Moon Jellyfish along the east side of the dock this morning and we saw quite a few more just off shore when we left in the boat.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Race Rocks boat to Pedder Bay and back – trip to town for mail and supplies- mmm fresh fruit!
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:24 PM

Good Morning

WEATHER: Sky Overcast  Vis 15 Miles Wind North East 10 Knots Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:16 AM