The story of Ninene: Seal pup likely Canadian-born; now she’s missing

This story is reproduced courtesy of the Penninsula Daily News: penninsuladailynews.com

By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — A young elephant seal pup that beached itself on Hollywood Beach last weekend is more than likely a Canadian named Ninene.

Link:She is tagged with red tags and then released back at the waterfront

A molting female elephant seal lies on the sand at Hollywood Beach in Port Angeles on Monday. Police taped off the area around the seal to keep people from approaching the animal. — Photo by Chris Tucker/Peninsula Daily News

 

Scientists believe the elephant seal pup that washed up near City Pier is the same seal born Jan. 30 at Race Rocks Marine Ecological Reserve. That seal was named Ninene by researchers at the British Columbia reserve.

The malnourished, scarred female seal was taken from Hollywood Beach — where Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary had protected her from onlookers by erecting yellow tape around her on Sunday — to the end of Ediz Hook near the Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles station on Tuesday to give her more privacy.

She was gone on Wednesday. A sanctuary scientist will check the site today.
Ninene’s life was hard, researchers said. She was weaned early and abandoned by her mother, they said, and was mauled by an adult seal when she was no more than a month old. Bob Steelquist, a spokesman at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Port Angeles, said, “The story gets a little richer.”
Violent childhood
Markings near the seal’s neck — signs of a violent childhood — matched those of Ninene’s, said Garry Fletcher, a volunteer at the Race Rocks reserve. “The pictures sent some evidence of that, and also Race Rocks is only 10 kilometers away,” he said. “As far as we know, we don’t know of any other elephant seals having young ones.” John Barimo, a sanctuary research specialist, said “it makes sense” that the Port Angeles seal and Ninene are one in the same. “It [Race Rocks] is the closest part of Vancouver Island to us, and the timing seems to fit,” Barimo said.

No other elephant seal is known to have been born that far north. Short of conducting a DNA analysis, scientists believe the evidence is sufficient, Barimo said.
Photos of an infant Ninene are available at www.racerocks.com.

Underweight, battered

The 10-week-old seal is severely underweight. She was weaned from her mother when she was 4 or 5 weeks old, Fletcher said. Seals usually are weaned at eight to 10 weeks. “In the first month of its life, it was attacked quite badly by a male,” Fletcher explained.
“We have a series of pictures from when its mother left. It got battered up quite badly.”
At one point, Ninene looked like she was dead, Fletcher said.
Barimo estimated the seal weighed between 100 and 125 pounds when he netted it on Tuesday. Elephant seals that age should weight about 350 pounds, he said.

“Apparently this animal was subject to pretty violent attacks by a young male over there,” Barimo said. “There are signs of the injuries that show up on its neck.” The seal’s current status is unknown. Barimo on Wednesday returned to the site where he released Ninene by the Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angles a day earlier. The seal was nowhere to be found.

A Makah scientist had tagged its fin with a number late Tuesday, Barimo said.
Unless Ninene reappears to humans, Barimo said it’s impossible to know if she has recovered or has become “a part of the food chain.”
The most important factor in a seal’s survival is whether or not it can learn to hunt and forage on its own, Barimo said. “It is a tough call,” he said.
“In nature, not everything makes it. . . . If it can learn to fish, it should start bulking up.”
Fletcher said: “She’s gone this far. She certainly over the worst of it.”

Once indigenous to the northwest, elephant seals were hunted out of the area in the late 1880s, Fletcher said.They survived in California and now appear to be on the rebound, Barimo said.”It was a weird twist of fate,” Barimo said.
“It was born next to a helicopter pad, and here we are releasing her at a Coast Guard station by a helicopter pad.”

________

Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen (use the at sign) peninsuladailynews.com.

Last modified: April 09. 2009 11:39PM

Race Rocks Tidal Turbine Generator

Connor Scheu and Wouter Zwart April 2, 2009 . Race Rocks Tidal Turbine GeneratorUWCpearsoncollegeicon

Background:

Ed note: Connor communicated with Russ Stothers of Clean Current for his project;

“Here is a simple synopsis of the project I will be doing this week. It is called a group four project (which pertains to the experimental science department here at the college), and the theme for everyones project is resource allocation/sustainability. Every student has to decide upon a project in which they will research something in this area. This usually involves the identification of a question, and then variables, presented in a lab format and accompanied by a presentation, but not overly formal. Continue reading

Barry MacDonald visits Race Rocks

barryandairchimeBarry MacDonald, President of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society went out to Race Rocks with Garry today. Barry has been instrumental in getting the Lighthouse Heritage Protection Bill  through parliament and working for the protection of the Atlantic Coast Lighthouses: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/history/heritagetower.htm#Anchor-Pat-11481 .  In this picture, he tells us about how the Air Chime Fog horns were once used across North America, but are now all discontinued.The one he is examining was removed for the installation of solar panels and has since been replaced, preserving the look of the four air chimes on the energy building.
http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/history/foghorn/foghorn.htm

 

Boats in The Ecological Reserve 2008

The raw boat data below was taken from the old logs of the Ecoguardian . It has been transferred to this new log. .. GF

‘2008-07-13’, ‘Pleasure’, 3, ‘rowboats’, ‘Garry’, ’07:07:41′),
‘2008-07-21’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 4, ‘Seafaring Safari, twice came in close to docks and rocks to east’, ‘david’, ’16:46:15′),
‘2008-07-23’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 1, ”, ‘Garry’, ’01:45:44′),
‘2008-07-24’, ‘Pleasure’, 1, ‘2 people on board’, ‘Garry’, ’22:10:43′),
‘2008-07-24’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 15, ‘See notes of individuals and numbers in the human contact section’, ‘Garry’, ’22:12:59′),
‘2008-07-25’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 1, ”, ‘Garry’, ’13:51:59′),
‘2008-07-26’, ‘Diving’, 1, ‘One diving boat spotted ca. 15 meters off the dock. Three divers were in the water 10 meters off shore among the kelp.\r\n3 more divers were aboard the boat. Spotting occured ca, 15:30, but it is believed that the boat has been around Race Rocks for several hours.’, ‘Laurie’, ’15:58:51′),
‘2008-07-28’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 1, ‘whale watching boat, “Prince Whales” 10:50 am, hovering in th echannel very close to  (ca. 15 meters)  basking stellar sea lions’, ‘Laurie’, ’10:58:15′),
‘2008-07-28’, ‘Pleasure’, 13, ‘all vessels were whale watching boats spotted close to sea lions in channel or close to dock between ca. 12 noon and 2 pm\r\n\r\nthe following boats were called:\r\n- Sooke Coastal Expeditions (3 separate occassions!!)\r\n- Whale Watching …Safari\r\n-Five Star Whale Watching\r\n-Eagle Wing Tours.com (twice)\r\n-Great Pacific Adventures\r\n-Prince Whales , Whale Watching (twice)\r\n-Orca…\r\n-Springtide 384-4444\r\n-unnamed red vessel with clients in red water gear ‘, ‘Laurie’, ’15:46:04′),
‘2008-10-20’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 3, ‘Prince of Whales – travelled east between Great Rock and middle rock, passing 30” off the jetty.\r\nPrince of Whales- passed around the front of the island and continued onto the back approaching with 15 feet of the docks. ‘, ‘lbpc’, ’15:55:51′),
‘2008-10-20’, ‘Fishing’, 1, ’30 feet away from back of island, passing slowly.’, ‘lbpc’, ’14:48:13′),
‘2008-10-21’, ‘Pleasure’, 2, ‘1 pleasure boat passed east between Great Race rock and middle rock at high speed.’, ‘lbpc’, ’15:00:10′),
‘2008-10-21’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 9, ‘1 whale-watching boat drifted around north rock at close distance. Another passed within 20 feet of Great Rock on the north side.’, ‘lbpc’, ’16:10:45′),
‘2008-10-21’, ‘Fishing’, 1, ”, ‘lbpc’, ’16:06:51′),
‘2008-10-24’, ‘Eco-Tour’, 3, ”, ‘lbpc’, ’15:37:57′),
‘2008-11-15’, ‘Pleasure’, 0, ”, ‘laurie’, ’08:39:07′),

‘2008-10-21′, ’12:14:27’, ‘Speed’, ‘Boat’, ”, ‘Pleasure boat passed between great rock and middle rock heading east at high speed with lots of wake.’, ‘lbpc’, ’12:15:20′),

July-November 2008 elephant seal notes

July 28 2008 Blasting by the DND sent the 5 newly returned sea lions into water. Slash hits the water to cruise by the dock. 18 Ecotour boats sited in channel close to sea lions (also later main dock where Slash was lying by boat house).

Aug 20. 2008: Three males, slash absent.

Sept. 23, 2008 One juvenile male elephant seal was up on the lawn by the science house.. Slash has not been around for some time now.

Oct. 27, 2008: possibly one male out on middle rock.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66339356@N00/2965657528/in/set-72157607795979132/

 For November of 2008  they have been absent. We expect them back in mid December.

Data Compiled by Garry Fletcher, Nov. 29, 2008

Redeployment of the Tidal Energy Turbine

On October 17, 2008, Clean Current reinstalled the tidal energy turbine at Race Rocks. Timing of the operation had to be around a slack tide, and its always a problem to have enough time for completion of the basic underwater installation work before the tide starts running again. Students and staff of Pearson College will now work in the next few weeks using the 20 minute window of some slack tides to complete several aspects of the installation to prepare the unit for full operation again.

The turbine now has several upgrades developed on the basis of the experience of the first installation. Stainless Steel bearings have now been installed, and a new lubricating system with environmentally friendly lubricant was added. A new electrical wire protection system was added, and the augmenter duct around the outside was replaced with stronger reinforced fibreglass with a reinforced outer ring. The struts holding the central ring were also reinforced, and the blade configuration was modified.

This new deployment will enable a further test of the seaworthiness of the turbine. Perfecting the structure and its operation in these difficult ocean conditions is the goal of the experimental phase of the project.

Erik Schauff of Pearson College took the following pictures of the redeployment and the Pearson College Divers inspecting the apparatus underwater after the professional divers had completed their work.

Carter (PC year 34) inspects the newly reinstalled turbine

College Divers Adam and Martin (PC year 34) diving near the installed turbine

Other pictures of the turbine in various stages of the re-installation can be found captured on the remote control camera 5 on the October Photo Gallery by PB

Rockfish Conservation Area at Race Rocks

19_20cover_RCA_inset_RaceBentinckGeneral map of the Southern end of Vancouver Island. Race Rocks and Bentinck Island are in Area 19.

Bentinck Island – Chart 3461

Those waters of Eemdyk Passage in Subarea 20-5 that lie westerly of the meridian passing through 123°32.450’ west longitude and northerly of a line:

from 48°18.692’N 123°33.486’W
to 48°18.640’N 123°32.916’W

Race Rocks – Chart 3461

Those waters of Subareas 19-3 and 20-5 that lie inside the 40 metre contour line surrounding Great Race Rock and Rosedale Rock as shown on Chart No. 3461, published by the Canadian Hydrographic Service of the Department.

94_294_RaceRocksBentinck

Date modified by DFO:
Return to the Regulations for Race Rocks file  https://www.racerocks.ca/?p=8909

whale watching boat

West Coast Wildlife Adventures approached to view the elephant seal within 10 meters of the seal. I advised him he was too close since slash was there basking in the water. He had moved in to get a close look from a few metres. Images placed on ecotourism page  on web. This is not the first whale watching boat that is coming in too close this season. With seal pups in the water this is a dangerous thing to do.  See the ecotourism page for more information.’, ‘Garry’, ’12:41:23′),

Limited Habitat of Purple star at Low tide

gfandstarWest Coast Wildlife Adventures approached to view the elephant seal also within 10 meters of the seal. I advised him he was too close since slash was there basking in the water. He had moved in to get a close look from a few metres. Images were placed on ecotourism page on web.
I found another black oystercatcher nest down in front of the Winch House, so moved camera3 over to it. (Update note on July 17–2 young were observed near the nest). In the morning I went out on the intertidal for the minus tide. Excellent long exposure of the surge channel and the cave on the South west side. Also got onto Anita’s intertidal island down from the helipad. I was looking for the large ( 45 cm diameter Purple star. Which I saw there two years ago, and at that time I thought he was the only one on the island. This time I found another smaller one– 30 cm diameter in a similar protected channel only 2 metres from the other one. Since these sea stars inhabit the lower intertidal zone, they cannot withstand the heavy wave action that occurs in that area without these deep channels which are protected by a rise on the seaward side to the west. As far as I know these are the only two purple stars occurring at Race Rocks. They are very common however in other sheltered inland coastlines in BC and are frequently the first sea star that visitors to BC shores notice. I also made note of a large number of very colourful brooding anemone exposed on the same protected mussel-covered wall on that island. There was an unusual abundance of blue ones which I remember to be rather rare when seen by diving in that area previously . One gull nest close to the science centre has chicks hatching.