Ecological Notes:

• Checking regularly for the adult female Elephant Seal, and also keeping an eye out for the adult male reportedly seen in the area as well
• Elephant Seal pup … wandering around the island …not sure if it’s just coincidental, but it seems to be disturbing the Canada geese at their nests (gone to 3 different nests)

• Most of the gulls are paired off now, starting to see a little nest material collecting to show off

• Oyster Catchers are also paired off, no direct nesting behavior  noted

• Transient Orca – T123s –  passed just north of the reserve on Sunday morning, then another family in the afternoon

• With the nicer weather, there has been lots of bird activity, including an extremely high number of pigeon guillemots (maybe passing through, as I’ve never seen this many before)
• 2 Pelicans have been around as well
• I must note….. the firewood has been stocked better than any period I have seen here in 6 years!

Facility Work:

• Ran desalinator each time the Generator ran during the day time
• Transferred fuel, and supplies around the buildings
• Battery service and top ups
• Richard did some work on dismantling the old generator
• Regular fence maintaining
• Checked and cleaned the Solar panels

Visitors:

• Students form the college came with visiting students to see the reserve

DND events:

• A couple single blasts, no noted animal disturbance

Noted Vessel Traffic:

• A few, very well behaved, Eco-tourism vessels
• 3 private vessels noted, no infractions and generally good behaviour

Weather Events:

• Saturday, April 04:
  • Sky: Clear, with very slight seasonal haze around
  • Wind: SE winds 5-10kts
  • Sea: Lightly rippled
  • Temperature Low 7^oC, High 12^oC
• Sunday, April 05:
  • Sky: Clear, with very slight seasonal haze around
  • Wind: E 10 kts, rising to 20 kts mid day, then shifting to SE and dropping to no wind by evening
  • Sea:  light chop 
  • Temperature Low 8.1^oC, High 13.3^oC
• Monday, April 06:
  • Sky: basically clear, but slight haze and high drifting clouds when the winds came up
  • Wind: variable direction light winds in the morning, rising to NW winds gusting to 45kts by mid afternoon
  • Sea: 2-3 ft swells in the afternoon
  • Temperature Low 7.6^oC, High 11.4^oC
• Tuesday, April 07:
  • Sky: Foggy until mid-afternoon, clear and sunny to overcast
  • Wind: W 5-10kts, shifting to E 5-10 kts mid day
  • Sea:  light chop 
  • Temperature Low 7.5^oC, High 11.2^oC

** Any wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

Weather – Current:

https://tempestwx.com/station/190757/

Weather – Past:

https://tempestwx.com/history/190757

Birds

• Harlequin duck                                    23
• Bald eagle adult                                    1
• Bald eagle juvenile                                2
• Turnstones                                             4
• Gulls                                                       280
• Cormorants                                            255
• Pigeon Guillemots                                140 (seemed like extra this day??)
• Oyster catcher                                        18
• Canadian goose                                       10
• Surf Birds                                                  4
• Brown Pelicans                                         1

Mammals

• Steller sea lion                                           34
• Harbour seal                                                72
• California sea lion                                       17
• Elephant seal pup                                         1
• Animal Tracking and Injuries:          Steller branded 595Y

Time flies out here – a wonderful period is over. A particular highlight of this trip was seeing Race Rocks so busy with Pearson students again.

The light back in action

Thank you to everyone who looks after this magic place!

Facility Work

[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]

Automated Palette Regulation Intelligent Lighting For Oceanic Observation & Luminosity System

In a groundbreaking development for maritime safety and coastal aesthetics, we are proud to announce that Race Rocks has been chosen as a trial site for the world’s first AI-powered system designed to dynamically to alter light house colour schemes. Developed by some of the world’s leading AI firms, the new system promises to enhance navigational guidance while continuing Race Rocks’ proud tradition of digital innovation in protecting coastal landscapes.

Traditionally, lighthouses have maintained a static colour scheme, providing vital navigation aid to seafarers. However, with the new Automated Palette Regulation Intelligent Lighting For Oceanic Observation & Luminosity System, Race Rocks lighthouse will for the first time be able to adapt its illumination in real-time, optimising visibility and aesthetics simultaneously.

AI at Race Rocks (Sample Illumination)

Powered by advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, the system ensures optimal colour selection based on weather conditions, visibility range, and time of day.

C Lyon, director of mammalian affairs, commented:

“Our aim in bringing AI to Race Rocks is to marry safety and beauty along Vancouver Island’s coastline. By harnessing this exciting new technology, we can offer dynamic colour schemes that not only enhance navigational clarity but also elevate the visual appeal of lighthouses, enriching the coastal experience for locals and visitors alike.”

As a testing ground for AI deployment in lighthouses across the Pacific Northwest, a range of colour schemes have been proposed to showcase its versatility:

1. Ocean Blue Serenity: A calming blue hue, perfect for clear nights and tranquil seas.
2. Sunset Glow: Warm tones of orange and pink evoke the magic of a coastal sunset, ideal for twilight hours.
3. Emerald Beacon: A vibrant green reminiscent of coastal foliage, enhancing visibility against rocky shores.
4. Starry Night: Deep indigo with specks of white, creating a celestial spectacle against the night sky.

In deploying the Automated Palette Regulation Intelligent Lighting For Oceanic Observation & Luminosity System, lighthouses are not just beacons of safety – they become symbols of innovation and beauty, illuminating the way forward for coastal communities.

For further information please contact Elle P. Hantseal at 48.2983N | 123.531W.

[Race Rocks, 1 April 2026]

=== ENDS ===

One question eco-guardians often get is about visitors to the island – often there’s many days without any, and then suddenly there’s a lot of action in a day! Today was such an occasion, with two visits.

In the morning, the Coast Guard came from Victoria for maintenance work on the lighthouse…

Ready to fix the light!

… and in the afternoon, I was joined by Greg, Richard, and Bella who came out to work on various tasks on the island. It was great to catch up and learn more about their work Race Rocks.

Greg and Bella on Pedder Explorer

Richard installing a new battery room threshold

Before they departed, we set up the fire pump to top up the cistern for desalination.

Facility work

With the end of March quickly approaching, it was time to prepare for the end-of-moth reporting – collecting data on water and fuel consumption, generator and desalinator hours, water produced &c… it’s also the time to collate and submit the daily water sample results

March water samples

Desalinator data

I got very lucky with the weather, and managed to run the desalinator off solar for a couple of hours!

A solar run!

After a pretty busy week, today has been a quieter day – the generator came on early in the morning, so I managed to run the desalinator for nearly 4 hours to replenish water stocks.

The elephant seals

One of the joys of this trip has been the opportunity to share the Rocks with two elephant seals – an adult female, hauled out to moult, and the female pup born here a few weeks ago. They have both settled into their respective routines: the adult spends most of the day in the bushes close to the flag pole, with the occasional trip down the jetty to blow some bubbles. Pup, on the other hand, is much more adventurous, actively exploring all of the island’s nooks and crannies. I have spotted her by the firewood pile, in front of the water tank, and even on the east side of the island, behind the keeper’s house!

little adventurer enjoying the sunrise

Facility work

• Seawater sample
• Desalination (while generator running during early daytime hours)

Weather

• Wind: 15 WNW (calm earlier)
• Mostly overcast, a few rain drops
• Air temp: 6C

As Race Rocks is an off-grid facility, there’s always plenty of things to look after – including, for example, a bi-weekly check of the batteries, topping up fluids where necessary on Tuesday and Saturdays.

The Race Rocks power bank, freshly topped up and cleaned

This week, we also had the annual visit from a technician to check all of the fire extinguishers on the island – quite a fun task to track them all down, including one right on top of the tower!

It passed!

Regular readers of the blog will be aware of our weekly animal census, usually taking place towards the end of the week or over the weekend. As the Pearson students had already been counting different species on their boat trip they were keen to join, and  I decided to bring it forward a bit – with great results. Thank you everyone for your help!

Census in action

Pedder Explorer arrived at 9am to pick up Christie and the students and take them back to campus, and I found myself alone on the island (insofar as humans are concerned…) for the first time since my arrival.

Animal Census Thursday, March 26, 2026:

Mammals:

• Steller sea lion: 71
• California sea lion: 13
• Harbour seal: 57
• Northern Elephant seal: 2 (Baby and adult female)

Birds:

• Glaucus-winged gull: 343
• Herring gull: 12
• Brandt’s Cormorant: 292
• Pelagic Cormorant: 118
• Double-crested cormorant: 18
• Black oystercatcher: 40
• Harlequin duck: 6
• Ruddy turnstone: 4
• Canadian goose: 10
• Surfbirds: 12
• Bald Eagle: 1 adult, 1 juvenile
• Pigeon guillemots: 43

The pigeon guillemots (my favourite bird!) had evaded Karyssa on previous census days, so I went out early in the morning to count them.

But what kind of cormorant is it?

Facility work

• Animal census
• Fence repairs
• Seawater sample (last one with Pearson students)
• Solar panel cleaning

Weather

• Wind: 5-10kts SW to W
• Mostly sunny
• Air temp: 10C
• Sea state: calm

Vessels: 6 eco-tourism, Pedder Explorer (to pick up students)