https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd-94YlgHVg
Category Archives: Archived Video
Whales! (and census)
Gallery
This gallery contains 4 photos.
Weather: Visibility: Very clear, 15 miles Wind: 15-25 knots Sky: Mostly clear, some clouds Water: Choppy, white caps Boats/Visitors: Today a contractor visited to fix our internet/ phone cable in the main residence. At the same time Corey, two BC … Continue reading
Update on Tagged Elephant Seal Cow
T 562 pink
Recently I sent this email to the folks who are in charge of the tagged elephant seal program in the US .” This year we have had three pups born The tag (on this website) for pups born here over the last few years is https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/
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NOTE : The following link is connected to all the posts on this log relating to tagged elphant seals we have recorded at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve over the past 19 years
https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/tagged/
Today we received this information from Garrett Duncan, Farallon Program Biologist at Point Blue Conservation Science. www.pointblue.org :
The cow you re-sighted with a Pink tag T562 was born on the SE Farallon Island during the 2010-2011 breeding season and hasn’t been seen since. It’s mother’s name in our database was Peggy and she was likely born in the 1998-1999 breeding season in a colony further to the south, Piedras Blancas. She frequented the island every year between 1999 and 2011.
Snow and Coast guard
Weather
- Visibility: 15 Miles
- Wind: 5-15 NE
- Sky: Clear and Sunny
- Water: A bit choppy, no big waves
Boats/Visitors
- Guy came by today to deliver fuel and help me with the desalinator, I had some freezing issues with it
- Coast Guard also dropped by in their helicopter to do some lighthouse maintenance
Maintenance
- I ran the generator for awhile last night, will do so again tonight
- tried to run desal but had a freezing issue so will try again when it warms up a bit
Ecological
- The pup that is alone right now decided the front door was a good place to sleep so I’ve been using the side door
- the elephants don’t seem too bothered by the snow
- there are about 3 males around right now, the alpha chases the other two off when they get close
The effects of Vessel Underwater Noise on whales
Currently Mike Fenger and I are representing the Board of the Friends of Ecological Reserves as Intervenors in the New round of Reconsideration Hearings of the National Energy Board on the Trans Mountain Pipeline Proposal . You can follow this process with its daily updates from participants at https://apps.neb-one.gc.ca/REGDOCS/Item/View/3614457
Since one of the aspects ordered by the Review Panel is the state of the Southern resident Killer whales one of the most disturbing piece of evidence of their plight comes I have come across is contained in this audio clip:
This audio clip comes from the following image posted in the NEB records:
A95280-effects-of-uw-noise-and-what-mariners-can-do-A6J6G4
Pam sees 6-spot the harbour seal
Pam Birley of Leistershire England has regularly photographed this harbour seal which she named 6-spot , since 2008.. Their lifespan is 25-30 years.
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- 6-spot – first photographed at Race Rocks in 2008
ER Wardens Report, Sept.21
Today, Guy Ouradou from Pearson College drove me out to Race Rocks Ecological reserve with David Obura, Pearson College alumni from Kenya year 10. The main change since I was there last was the predominance of California sea lions over most of the island. Northern sealions occupied a small portion of rock near the docks and the isthmus below the light tower. Each year the college has to put up an electric fence to prevent the sealions from invading the centre of the island which can result in damage to conduits, and facilities.
Laas adjusts the electric fence on the south side of the house.
A new fence system is being installed this year, which has so far proven to be very effective. Another aspect of the sealions being on the centre part of the island is that they have been damaging the structure of the rocks arranged in the areas of the aboriginal burial cairns. The big change in sealion distribution is that previously they have concentrated on West Race Rocks, North Race Rocks and the south Islands off the tower. This year there are none out on those islands and they are all on the main island.
CODAR antenna and sealions
I also was able to observe the equipment installed by Oceans Network Canada for CODAR. Hopefully we can get a connection to the output of the data obtained from this equipment when we neet with Kevin Bartlett from Ocean Networks Canada next week on Sept 28.
Earlier this year, Lester Pearson College upgraded the solar batteries which have served for the past 11 years. New inverters were also installed.
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- Storage batteries
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- New control panels and inverters for the Solar panels
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- New storage batteries
Leaving the island we have to deal with a dock full of sealions which have returned since our arrival.
Census
Weather
- Visibility: 15 miles
- Wind: 25-30 knts W
- Sky: Overcast
- Water: small white caps
Boats/Visitors/Sightings
- A few ecotour boats in the area
Marine Mammals
- All the Elephant seals seemed to be huddled up on the north side of the student residence, possibly to stay out of the wind
Census
- Elephant Seals
- Male = 4
- Female = 0
- Sea Lions
- California = 1
- Steller = 0
- Seagulls = 200
- Pigeon Guillemot = 90
- Eagles = 5
- Oystercatchers = 9
- Harbour Seals = 65
- Geese = 2
Molting Harbour Seal
Weather
- Visibility: 15 miles
- Wind: 25-30 knts W
- Sky: Partly Cloudy
- Water: Ripply
Boats/Visitors/Sightings
- An average number of ecotour boats today – the tourists were treated with quite a spectacular sunset!
Marine Mammals
- Saw a single California Sea Lion on the jetty early this afternoon – the only sea lion to be visible in the last 3 days.
- Spotted a molting harbour seal near the jetty that seemed to be in a lot of pain. It’s unusual for harbour seals to come to the main island, but this one seemed to be trying to stay out of the water, possibly due to sensitive skin. I kept an eye on it for the evening, and went to check on it this morning but it was gone.
Another Elephant Seal fight and Orcas in the distance
Weather
- Visibility: 15 Miles
- Wind: 5-10 knts N
- Sky: Partly Cloudy
- Water: Ripply
Boats/Visitors/Sightings
- Average amount of ecotour boats around the island today
Marine Mammals
- The additional male Elephant Seals from yesterday remained on the island today, causing yet another fight between a new adult male and the existing adult male. Neither was seriously injured.
- Some harbour seals got closer to the main island than I’ve seen before – they usually hang out around the south islands.
- Saw some whale watching boats gathered probably a couple of kilometers away in the south, and with my camera I got some shots of the orcas they were watching. It was too far to see the orcas themselves with the naked eye, but I could see the water sprays they were making.
