Partly cloudy, wind 10-15 NMPH N-NE.
This morning Chunk was on the island taking an interest in Bertha. He chased her around a bit and made what appeared to be mating attempts. She growled at him and resisted.
Author Archives: Alex Fletcher
Sealion death
Clear sky, wind 15 NMPH NE, signs of frost overnight.
This morning the sealion that has been in poor health and isolation during the past weeks was deceased on the rocks in the east bay of the island.
Bertha still near centre of island.
One ecotour vessel was in the reserve today.
-replaced corroded electrical plug on flush pump in diesel building
-cleaned panels
-cut, chopped, wood
-cleared a new storage space in the water tank shed for more fire wood storage
Jan 4
clear sky, wind varying between N and E throughout the day, 10-15 NMPH.
I went off island in the morning to run errands, came back mid afternoon. I noticed that the barometer reading from the davis instruments (racerocks.ca) is different from tower reading, will try to correct it.
Bertha hasnt moved much from her spot near centre of island.
There was 1 eco-tour vessel in the reserve while I was on site.
-picked up 40L gas at Pedder Bay Marina
-cleaned panels
Bertha returns
Wind was gusting up to 45 NMPH W overnight, blowing 30 NMPH in the morning and diminished to calm by afternoon. The sky cleared up during the day.
Bertha arrived back on Great Race today, she looks good and pretty big. In 2011 she gave birth to a pup (Squall) here on January 14. The other elephant seals are on Middle rock, it looks like 4 females and Chunk out there. There seemed to be another large female next to Chunk.
See the Elephant seal Index for other Elephant seal births at Race Rocks
A coast guard helicopter flew over in the morning, one ecotour vessel entered the reserve in the afternoon.
-cleaned panels
-replaced flag
-finished month end report
-did animal census
-cleaned cam 5 dome
-gathered drift wood from East shore
-cut, chopped wood
Rain and wind
It started raining in the evening and continued throughout the day. This was the first significant rain here in a few weeks. The wind picked up late in the day and was gusting over 45 NMPH West in the evening.
1 ecotour and 1 recreational vessel were in the reserve. A coast guard helicopter flew over coming from the West.
There were 3 small ducks in the NE puddle, I believe they were Green Winged Teals. I counted 15 canada geese on the island today, the most I have seen lately.
-worked on month end report
-entered salinity data into spreadsheet and submitted to DFO
-checked on drainage from roofs and downspouts around basements
-collected drift wood
-contacted wood stove contractor
Orcas
NE wind up to 15 NMPH, some light rain.
This morning a pod of orcas passed through the reserve heading West. I first noticed a splash on the north side of the island and then saw a small orca traveling quite fast and surging out of the water. It traveled around the West side and by the time I got to the helicopter pad had joined a group of at least 4 other orcas West of the reserve. Then another group of orcas appeared of the South end of race rocks, inside the reserve, traveling west towards the other group. There were at least 5 orcas in that group too. Both groups seemed to have one larger adult with them. This was the closest I have seen orcas inside the reserve.
Dec 31, visitors, octopus
overcast, wind light.
Chris came out in the morning with a group of 8 visitors.
Several octopus encounters today: there was an octopus near jetty as the guests were leaving, I heard a fisherman on the radio talking about having caught an octopus, and in the evening I came a across a small octopus in a tide pool at a very low (0.1 meter) tide.
1 ecotour and 1 recreation boat in the reserve today
-tidy engine room and house for visitors
-did a maintenance tour with Chris
-cut, chopped, stacked wood
-checked battery water level
-fuel inventory for month end report
-started preparing month end report
Dec 29
Wind light, overcast.
2 ecotour vessels in the reserve today
There is a sea lion on the East bay of the island that has some kind of neck injury. It is usually higher up in the rocks and isolated from other sea lions. It’s neck is swollen on one side and fur is moist/matted, some blood is visible. It has been there for several days now. Though it does go into the water occasionally it is mainly stationary.
-cleaned solar panels
-replaced burnt out florescent tube lights in boat house, work room, engine room
-measured and photographed fuel lines on generator for replacement
-cut, chopped, stacked fire wood
-sharpened tools
-ran chain saw
Christmas Bird Count
Overcast, wind light.
I went off island in the morning and dropped two visitors off at Pedder Bay. At 0930 I Picked up Garry Fletcher and local bird expert, Val George for the annual Christmas bird count. We traveled, slowly, out Pedder Bay through Bentinck Channel and across to Race Rocks, going between Middle Rock and West Rock. Val and Garry did a count from the top of the tower. I brought them back to Pearson College around 1300.
There was a relatively high number of sports fishing boats out today, a factor of good weather and the holidays. In the waters between Albert Head and Beechy Head there were 35 boats, 3 of which were underway (not fishing). We count the boats daily for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. This was the highest count I have recorded this month.
I returned to RR around 1630 on a fairly low tide so got to test the new boat dolly at the bottom of the ramp. It did still stop once on the curve going down the ramp but was way better than previously. Mounting the boat on the dolly was easier and faster than before too. the rails at the bottom of the ramp were a bit overgrown, will try to clean it on a low tide.
-cleaned solar panels
Dec 27 Westerly
The wind picked up right around noon reaching up to 35 NMPH from the West with an average speed around 30 NMPH throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
One ecotour vessel was in the reserve.
-worked on trying to fine tune boat house door, unsuccessful.
-cut, chopped, stacked fire wood, successful.
-cleaned solar panels
-fuelled up station whaler
-replaced corroded hose clamp on whaler fuel line