Category Archives: weather notes

Wet Westerlies

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The winds have died after last nights’s Westerly 60 knot gales. All the remains is a massive groundswell sweeping up Jaun de Fuca Strait, remnant and reminder of the power of the wind. I replaced the wind instrument on our ground weather station. It seems to be working fine now. Today I will sweep off the boat ramp of debris left from the big Sou’Easter a few days ago. For now the rain has moved in and I think I’ll bake muffins!

The young male e-seal has been spending most of his time by the boat house. He goes down the ramp for a dip a few times a day. He is clearly drawn here by the scent of the female but Misery has put the fear into him from their first bloody encounter. 

 

Winter’s Chilly Lash

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Strong Northeasterly winds have buffeted the island for the last 4 days bringing snow, hail and breaking waves over the jetty. The Steller Sea Lions returned to their perch on the South Rocks last night, perhaps now that the worst of the cold has passed. The Phocids (the family name for seals; in our case Harbour and Elephant) seem pretty much immune to the cold. Phocids are able to divert blood flow to their blubber layer to help control their temperatures.

photos 1,3,4: Helene Cyr

Squall the newborn elephant seal seems to be doing well. His fur is thick, I suppose to make up for his lack of blubber. I refer to it as a male but since true seals have retractable nipples, internal testicles and an internal penis sheath for streamlining it is difficult to determine gender.  He sure is cute though…

Two adult males engaging in vocalization threat displays….. Big Nose wins!

Stormy Weather

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Today it is just plain nasty outside with 35 knot nor’easterlies and blowing snow. No sign of the sea lions but the elephant seal family appears to be enduring the storm well. After a few days of poor feeding the pup and mom appear to have figured out their responsibilities and now the pup seems to be nursing vigourously. Misery, the father, is behaving well so far..

Below are some shots of Bertha and Squall, as well as the undisputed king of this island Misery of Race Rocks. Also the sub-adult male showed up last night. Does he have a name?

New year for the Humans, just another day for the seals…

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An enjoyable end to 2011 starting with the gale on Friday. Winds hit 50knots. I have noticed that cormorants are the last birds flying when the wind picks up. Today the islands of the reserve hold about 30 Stellars Sea Lions, 30 Harbour Seals, 2 elephants seals, 100 cormorants, 200 herring gulls, 15 oystercatchers, 20 turnstones, 10 Canada geese, a couple of sandpipers and sparrows, and one Homo sapiens sapiens. How is it that they can find food where they live but I am required to import it from the 4 corners of theglobe?

I am renaming the bull Elephant Seal Mistery rather than Misery as he was previously nicknamed. Misery doesn’t do this magnificent animal justice, plus I like him a lot; he brings me joy!

Elephant Seal Chase, Wind, Vessels

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The small female elephant seal had stayed up near the base of the tower until last night when the fog horn went off, she moved down to the path near the middle of the island.  Misery came back to Great Race this morning.

When he started approaching the female she moved away.   She made it back up to the base of the tower again where Misery doesn’t seem to like to go, maybe too much of an incline for the fat bugger.  Misery stayed by the engine room, likely in the females path if she tries to leave.

Yesterday there were three boats in the reserve: a dive boat in the morning and 2 eco tour boats in the afternoon.

The wind picked up today around noon reaching gusts of 60 knots from the west.  The wind has stayed around 30 knots most of the afternoon.

Misery, Harbour Seals, Weather

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Misery has been on Middle Rock Tuesday and Wednesday but was back by the boat house this morning.

There were over 40 Harbour Seals observed on the south side of the island and South Rock this afternoon.

Have had 3 days of grey skies and a sustained lack of precipitation.  The wind peaked just over 20 knots on Tuesday and has stayed around 10 knots yesterday and today.  Atmospheric pressure reached its lowest point in the past two weeks on Tuesday around 1015 hPa and has been on the rise today.

Frosty

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Had a good frost last night out here.  Have heaters on tonight in the water tank and desalination buildings.

I went off island this morning to run errands, came back around sunset.

Misery had been by the boathouse this morning, he was on the N side of the Science Centre when I got back this afternoon.  A few minutes ago when I came out of the desalination building he had moved and was right there on the other side of the path,  bit of a surprise for both of us.

Breakfast

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There was a freshly killed seagull on the NE side of the island this morning. Soon after I had inspected it, a juvenile Bald Eagle came in to continue to deplume and consume it. The Eagle eventually flew off with the carcass to finish it off on Middle Rocks.

Misery was back on Great Race this morning, he has been behind the boat house all day.

For most of the afternoon there two dive boats near Middle Rocks.

I worked on a de-clogging a stubborn sink drain in the bathroom of the main house this morning.

A North wind peaked around 20 knots this morning and dropped to less than 5 knots for most of the rest of the day.

Bald Eagles

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Bald Eagles on Middle Rocks, image captured on tower webcam.

There were several bald eagles on the rocks and chasing seagulls this morning.  At around noon I counted a total of 8 bald eagles: 4 on Middle Rocks, 2 on North Rock and 2 on South Rocks.

Misery and female elephant seals have remained on Middle Rocks yesterday and today.

It has been a pretty calm, quiet, grey day. I worked on connecting a second roof downspout to the rainwater tank.  The whole South side of the roof is now hooked in, just need a good rain to test it out.

Weather and Marine Life

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Cormorants silhouetted on South Rock at sunrise

Have continued to have high atmospheric pressure and nice weather over the weekend. On Saturday I passed by Middle Rocks in the Race Rocks whaler and it looked like Misery was accompanied by three female elephant seals.  He seems to be spending his time laying on Middle Rock while the weather is calm.  Three bald eagles cruised over South Rock yesterday afternoon and a couple were around today as well.

Seals splashing around in a kelp bed at low tide, sunset