Author Archives: Courtney Edwards

first student trip of the school year

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A group of 11 students and a teacher visited Race Rocks today for the IB Biology class. They had hoped to do some food web observations in tide pools, but with the tides today and the swell that’s been running it wasn’t possible. Instead, they spent some time observing sea lion behavior and getting their first impressions of the ecological reserve.

With the high tide and swell the sea lions have set up camp in front of the science house on the South-West side of the island.

1110 Coast Guard helicopter flew over East to West

Tour boats: 8

There’s a great swell running, smashing into West and North Rocks throwing huge spray into the air

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PC Students observing sea lion behavior

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PC Students taking in it all in

-Fixed electric fences that were damaged over night by sea lions
-Cleaned solar panels
-Swept walkways
-Erik helped get the boat shed doors up. Waiting on hardware to finish.

the barometer is falling

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The first swell of the season is forecasted for this weekend and the barometer has been dropping with the approach of the low pressure system. The wind has been shifting from North to South-West all day, but it’s back to 5 kts West this evening.

The seawater visibility is getting really good. I can clearly see seals swimming and differentiate sea floor features from up in the lantern room.

There are ladybugs all over the place. They like to hide behind electric fence insulators.

5 marine tour boats

Students from the college came out again for a boat tour through the reserve

10 growly elephant seals by the jetty and boat shed

Mammal Count:
591 sea lions
182 seals

Sea lions on middle rocks counted by uploading a photograph into ImageJ

Sea lions on middle rocks counted by uploading a photograph into ImageJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-washed solar panels
-fixed a few hose leaks
-finished sea lion fence around East side of keepers house

killer whales

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Saw a few orcas off the East end of the island midday
Lots of marine tour boats, counted 15 but some definitely went unnoticed
9 elepant seals behind the boat shed and in the shallows on the East side of the jetty
Students from the college came out to the reserve for a boat trip
-set up sea lion fence between the keepers house and around the derrick shed

 

beautiful windy day

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25-30 kt West wind since 1400 hrs

-6 elephant seals came ashore and napped behind the boat shed
-9 pelicans flew over, north to south. It seems like they pause over the islands and rest in the updrafts before crossing towards Port Angeles
-The sealions have occupied the whole area between the jetty and boat shed, the derrick shed, and the North-East flats

Off island from 1300 to 1500 hrs
New voltmeter courtesy of Erik

-ran desalinator
-washed solar panels
-found a couple small hose leaks

battery day

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3 tour boats
22 peilcans flew over aroun 1600, but were gone before I could get a photo
Sealions have decided to move up closer to the house
3 elephant seals spent the afternoon on the boat ramp

-Erik came and helped with battery maintenance
-An electrician came out and fixed some light fixtures
-A couple people came and cleaned the house up a bit

lightning!

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!!!Thunder and lightning!!!

Both Environment Canada and the Washington Marine text forecasts were spot on for the weather today. Fog and W 15 kts in the morning, W 20 kts off-and-on rain by midday, and W 30 kts and raining by evening.

There were a few sport fisherman out at 1135 during my boat count (7), but most were heading back to port.
8 marine tour boats, all before noon

9 oyster catchers
8 Canada geese
Lot’s of porpoising by sealions in the currents
One sealion by the derrick shed with an injured flipper
The elephant seal showed up and spent a few hours next to the jetty

Maintenance:
-ran desalinator
-photographed branded sealions for our contact at NOAA
-washed outside windows of main house with telescoping pole
-drained and rough-scrubbed the rainwater tank
-used a broom and the rain to scrub the main house porches
-inventoried first aid kit

critter tally

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5th day as Eco-guardian and things are getting easier.

-20 Canada geese this morning
-Spotted one pelican on North Rocks from the lighthouse during my morning mammal and boat count. Around lunch 5 more arrived. At Dinner time they joined up and flew south towards Port Angeles.
-Female elephant seal is napping behind the boat house as of 1500 hrs
-115 seals, mostly on Middle Rocks
-471 sealions, mostly on the northeast corner of the main island
-8 tour boats
-Several courteous sport boats checking out the wildlife in the reserve

Ran desalinator. Re-did sealion fencing on the jetty.

 

Pelicans

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