(having trouble uploading photos right now, will add photos later)
Ecological Notes:
- 1 Young Adult Male Elephant Seal, who is very possessive of the 1 Female elephant seal also on the island
- The yearling “pup” was very thin and wrinkly by the time he finished his molt, but appears to have left the reserve now.
- Less than half as many as last year, but the gull have now made their nests and sitting on eggs
- Have found 3 Oyster Catcher nests, but now they are nesting, I avoid the perimeter areas where they make the nests, so there may be more.
- Frequent Humpback whales close to the reserve, and one actually passed withing about 5 meters of the end of the pier!
- 4 different times, Transient orca were observed passing between the reserve and Bentinick Island
Visitors:
- A College instructor and 2 researchers came for an overnight to take collect some data
- The Desalination / water pump contractor came to help repair the systems
Facility Work:
- Replaced the pressure pump and switches in the Desalinator system.
- Consistent near daily cleaning of the Solar Panels
- Repaired the frozen firepump used to fill the cistern with salt water
DND events:
- Ongoing detonations at rocky point and Bentinick Island
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Very regular visits to the reserve by Ecotourism Vessels, both Canadian, and American vessels
- Increase in private vessels also visiting the reserve.
- Many sailing vessels passing both sides of the reserve during the Swiftsure Race.
Noted Infractions:
- All boats on best behavior. One instance of a private vessel fishing within the reserve. They were intercepted and warned by an Ecotourism vessel after not receiving (or ignoring) my radio calls.
Feature Event:
- The repairs to the fire pump ended up an extended event!
- The main pump was frozen and wouldn’t turn over, but the back up pump started easily.
- Transferred the firehose pump fittings to the back up pump.Laid out and connected all the hose for transfer.
- Attempted to restart the backup pump and the pull cord snapped!
- Swapped the pull cord from the main pump and started the back up pump.
- When the backup pump started to pump, there was a leak from the housing right at the engine mount. Did not want to dismantle that part of the pump without parts.
- Stripped down the main pump to cleans and wire brush all the parts to get it turning over properly (which as it turns out, I should have just done in the first place!)
- Transferred the pump fittings and pull start back to the main pump
- Was then finally able to fill the cistern!
- Flush the pump thoroughly with fresh water before storing!
Weather Events:
- Full range of spring weather, no extremely high winds though.
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Weather – Current:
http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather – Past: