Category Archives: Marine Vessels

A Dozen+ Eco-Tours

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind :15-25 knots West
  • Sky: mix of sun and clouds
  • Water: 1′ chop

Ecological

  • Down to 14 elephant seals on Great Race today.
  • Lots of sea lions on the rocks near the derrick.

Maintenance

  • Glued the edge of the desalinator bunker door back on.
  • Cleaned the solar panels.

Boats

  • Between 15-20 eco-tours came into the reserve today; I lost count.
  • Most of them appeared to be too close to the sea lions at one point or another.
  • Once there were 4 eco-tours in the reserve at the same time.
  • Another time there were 5 eco-tours within the reserve.
  • Two times the small Prince of Whales boats went THRU the South Channel.
  • When marine mammals are present, this channel is too narrow for boats to pass through (the minimum distance for boats viewing marine mammals is 100 metres!)
  • Both times there were many sea lions present, including several that were already swimming in the channel or near the entrances.
  • Most of the sea lions were at the right hand entrance to the channel. Unfortunately both times the boat had already passed thru that entrance before I could get a photo.
  • I did get some photos of one PoW boat in the middle of the channel, and exiting it.
  • Several pleasure craft passed through the reserve as well, including a sail boat that was towing a smaller boat (reminiscent of motorhomes that tow cars).
  • I wasn’t able to get photos of all these boats, as I didn’t always have the camera on me. I also accidentally deleted a few photos.

 

Boats too close?

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 15-20 knots West
  • Sky: overcast
  • Water: calm

Ecological

  • 15 elephant seals on Great Race.

Tower of gulls

Maintenance

  • More painting!

Boats

  • At least 8 eco-tours today.
  • Several of the tours, and one pleasure craft, appeared to be too close to the marine mammals.
  • The guidelines specify a distance of at least 100 metres.

New Tiny Elephant Seal

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 0-5 knots SW
  • Sky: overcast in the morning, sunny all day!
  • Water: calm
  • Beautiful day!

Ecological

  • Saw a California sea lion branded U33 (perhaps U?33)
  • 16 elephant seals on Great Race today.
  • A very tiny seal (though weaner sized, based on its coat a yearling) spent the afternoon on the rocks near the jetty.
  • It had very little interaction with the bigger elephant seals, and then it swam away.
  • 3 elephant seals on Middle Rock.
  • Saw a hummingbird today.

Brand U33

Maintenance

  • Painting.
  • Ran the desalinator.

Boats

  • Many eco-tours came by today. At least 10.
  • Some of them appeared to be too close to the sea lions near the derrick.

Black Oystercatcher Nest!

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 25-30 knots West in the morning
  • The rest of the day 15 knots West.
  • Sky: overcast
  • Water: 2′ chop

Ecological

  • Finally discovered a Black Oystercatcher nest!
  • 2 eggs are inside the “nest”.
  • Their nests are made of rocks and shells.
  • Census day.
  • I don’t seem to see any Black Turnstones or Surfbirds anymore.
  • Also less Bald Eagles.
  • And the Otter has been gone for a while.
  1. Harbour Seals: 117
  2. Northern Sea Lions: 32
  3. California Sea Lions: 22 (one branded U 687)
  4. Elephant Seals: 20 (17 on Great Race, 3 on Middle Rock)
  5. Seagulls: 327
  6. Pigeon Guillemots: 114
  7. Canada Geese: 21 (14 resident geese, 7 stopovers)
  8. Black Oystercatchers: 10 (plus 2 eggs!)
  9. Harlequin Ducks: 8 (6 males, 2 females)
  10. Cormorants: 4
  11. Barn Swallows: 2
  12. Bald Eagle: 1 immature
  13. Savannah Sparrow: 1

Maintenance

  • Rust painting.
  • More thistle weed whacking.
  • You can cut them down like you’re the Queen of Hearts, but they grow back.
  • Cleaned the solar panels.

Boats

  • Four or so eco-tours came by today.

Milder Wind

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 15-20 knots West, later 30
  • Sky: mix of sun and cloud
  • Water: calm, later 2′ chop

Ecological

  • 16 elephant seals on Great Race.
  • Lots of empty seagull nests scattered about the rocks now.

Maintenance

  • Did some weed whacking.

Boats

  • At least 8 eco-tours today.
  • Fairer weather=more boats.
  • A few small pleasure craft as well.

Windy Grey Day

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles, later on 10
  • Wind: a relentless 30-40 knots West
  • Sky: overcast, occasional showers
  • Water: 3′ chop

Ecological

  • 17 elephant seals on Great Race
  • Most of them spent the day huddled in a big pile; warmth is good!
Flowers saved from the weed eater

Marigolds saved from the weed eater

Maintenance

  • Did some weed whacking.
  • Too windy to paint.

Boats

  • 3 eco-tours came by today.

Eco-tour in choppy water

Flipper Tag 5086

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 5-10 knots West, later 0-5 South
  • Sky: clear and sunny
  • Water: calm
  • Temperature: Just a match under 16C (60F)

Ecological

  • Got a better view of the tagged elephant seal today. The tag reads: 5086.
  • Apparently she was born at Año Nuevo in 2011, the daughter of G2234, an 8 year old born at Año Nuevo in 2003.
  • She was last documented at Race Rocks on April 22 2012.

E-seal tag 5086 Lone cormorant and seagulls

Maintenance

  • Took out all the remaining Canada Thistle with the weed-eater.
  • Cleaned the solar panels.
  • Began painting.

Boats

  • A couple of small pleasure craft came by today.
  • One boat appeared to be only a few yards from the sea lions on South Rock.

Boat and sea lionsToo close to the sea lions

A Visitor From Afar

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Weather

  • Visibility: 10-15 miles today. At times quite hazy.
  • Wind: 15-25 knots West
  • Sky: clear and sunny
  • Water: 1′ chop

Ecological

  • Conducted a census today.
  • Found a tiny dead harbour seal on the rocks.
  • A flock of geese arrived in the late afternoon.
  1. Harbour Seals: 91
  2. Northern Sea Lions: 35
  3. Elephant Seals: 22 (17 on Great Race, 5 on Middle Rock)
  4. California Sea Lions: 20
  5. Seagulls: 275
  6. Pigeon Guillemots: 130
  7. Canada Geese: 20! (although for much of the day only 10)
  8. Black Oystercatchers: 8
  9. Harlequin Ducks: 3 (2 females, 1 male)
  10. Cormorants: 2
  11. Bald Eagle: 1
  12. Rock Sandpiper: 1
  13. Unidentified large bird on Middle Rock; Owl?: 1

Maintenance

  • Removed lots of algae from the boat house.
  • (Re)discovered that the pressure washer does not work.

Boats

  • About 4 eco-tours came by today.
  • Chris dropped off and picked up my friend Greg O’.

Visitors

  • Greg O’, the tree scientist of Vernon, came by in the afternoon for a 3 hour visit!

Greg O come for a visit!

Other

  • A couple of big DND blasts in the afternoon.

Pretty Average Day

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15+ miles
  • Great view of Mt. Baker and the Olympics today.
  • There appears to be a very small fire across the water in Washington.
  • Wind: 5-10 knots West, up to 20 in the evening.
  • Sky: clear with a view clouds.
  • Water: mostly calm

Ecological

  • The usual 15 elephant seals on Great Race today.
  • I enjoyed watching them play on the ramp.
  • Some of them just lie there and occasionally splash water onto their backs with a flipper. Very handlike those flippers of theirs.

Maintenance

  • More weed whacking. Took out lots of the Canada Thistle.
  • Cleaned the solar panels.
  • Investigated the pressure washer for future use.

Boats

  • At least 5 eco-tours today.

Other

  • A few DND blasts today.
  • The detonations occurred farther to the West than usual.

Smokey bang!