two Northern Sealions hauled out

Posted on by
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 18.9 C  Min. 11.3 C Reset 13.5 C
MARINE LIFE: Two mature bald eagles made several attempts to hunt Gr. Race first thing this morning and as always the gulls drove them off towards Whirl Bay everything soon settled back to the routine of feeding and sheltering the chicks.It would appear that there is a healthy supply of fish as the gulls continue to return from sea with full gullets.With any luck at all we will see some chicks fledge this year although the otter is making it’s rounds usually between 2 and 3 a.m. Most of the nests along the shore have been decimated but there are many nests farther inshore that have at least two surviving chicks.The dead seal pup has finally floated away however the female has remained in the dock area and has been joined by three other females with their pups. The geese are still here but with the vegetation so dry I wonder when they will leave for ‘greener pastures’. This afternoon two Northern Sealions hauled out on the western slope of the largest southeastern rocks to soak up some sun but were gone by 19:00.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 5 pleasure craft and 6 Ecotour boats in the reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:41 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear  Vis 15 MilesWind North East 3 Knots Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:19 AM

he gulls were regurgitating good amounts of nice fresh silvery fish 7-9 cm long,

Posted on by
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 19.0 C  Min. 9.9 C  Reset 16.5 C
MARINE LIFE: The main activity in the reserve continues to be the feeding of the young birds, today the gulls were regurgitating good amounts of nice fresh silvery fish 7-9 cm long, to the eager chicks which are now spending most of the time out of the nest but in the same general area.There are still 3 large elephant seals on middle rock but no sealions, still hear elephant seal snorting near the dock after dark most nights while they are out on their feeding trips.The dead pup is still the focus of it’s mother, she lays near it all day until the tide floats it and then she pushes it around in the water near the dock. There were three other females with pups swimming in the same area, one pup, obviously newly born but a very active swimmer approached the floating dead pup and was quickly warned off by the protective female. Anytime now the floating pup will get caught up in the current and will be taken further off shore.Will watch to see if the female remains in the dock area once the pup is gone.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 11 ecotour boats and 9 pleasure craft in the reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:45 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind North East 9 Know  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:21 AM

Have seen 8 seal pups,

Posted on by
Monday, July 08, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 16.0 C Min. 10.8 C  Reset 12.5 C  Rain 3.9 mm
MARINE LIFE: A cool and breezy start to the day, remnants of a very active weather system that roared in about 12:20 a.m. The rain was very heavy for about 25 mins, almost 4 mm, at least it cleaned the roofs somewhat and the air is much fresher. I watched very carefully for the gulls bringing food to the chicks and it’s not too encouraging- no abundance of silvery fresh fish so far. A few nests are empty of chicks and eggs -I suspect the otter. Have seen 8 seal pups,the females tend to stay fairly close to shore for the first week or so then when not hauled out to sleep and nurse the pups, they spend a lot of time in the kelp beds. The female is still with the dead pup and tonight as it floated in the rising tide she pushed it along with her in the water by the boat dock. Earlier this morning I went down to see and she was hauled out about 1metre from the pup, as I approached closer she moved up to the pup, patted it a couple of times with her front flipper then nuzzled it’s face with her nose.While she was doing this she periodically looked up at me with those big, sad, dark eyes.I’m sure even seals feel loss and grieve, It affects me at any rate. The Orca were through the reserve on their way east.Saw about 7 pass by between Gr. Race and North Rocks. They moved along at a fair pace but saw some breaching and tail slapping. The tour boats were quite spread out and except for the 2 boats that were in the reserve ahead of the whales none followed them through.
HUMAN INTERACTION: there were 17 tour boats and 3 pleasure craft through the reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:23 PM

Good MorningWEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 30 Knots Sea 4 Foot Moderate

posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:13 AM

There are 6 females with pups in the east bay area, 4 with red umbilical cords so very new but swimming like pros,

Posted on by
Sunday, July 07, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 20.0 C Min. 10.5 C  Reset 12.0 C  Rain 0.4 mm
MARINE LIFE: There are 6 females with pups in the east bay area, 4 with red umbilical cords so very new but swimming like pros, they do have some awkwardness while trying to pull themselves up onto the rocks, several tries and they make it to be rewarded with a good feed! The dead pup is still by the boat ramp, the mother has not left it’s side and continues to be very protective.There were three bald eagles this afternoon ( 1 mature ) which managed to land on the southeast rocks in spite of the gulls. The 2 juvenile eagles were fighting over some very bright red matter that looked like seal placenta,the adult raptor watched for about 10 minutes from about 20 metres then made it’s move towards the two juveniles which backed off immediately and surrendered the prize scraps.The gulls were just too bothersome so the big bird took off flying low over the water with the ‘food’ clutched tightly in it’s talons, the gulls did not give up the chase until they were well past North Rocks.
HUMAN INTERACTION: A fairly quiet day considering the water was so calm and a weekend. There were 5 pleasure craft and 9 ecotour boats, 2 dive charters -one that came through at 16:30 full speed and too close, left at about 17:40 again full speed, both times leaving a large wake! Will pass the boat registration number along to fisheries.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:11 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 5 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:09 AM

again a number of small fish balls

Posted on by

 

Saturday, July 06, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 21.0 C  Min 9.7 C  Reset 19.7 C
MARINE LIFE: The birds were fairly quiet today except for trips out to sea for food, again a number of small fish balls mostly in and around the kelp beds to the east of Gr. Race. With several days now of sunshine and little wind the air is not as ‘fresh’ as one would like but we do get used to it after a while- air fresheners inside help, especially at meal time! Except for one or two small patches, the grass is brown and tinder dry. Still no seal pups in the dock area but sadly one female hauled out this morning with a dead pup which seems to be several days old. The female is very protective of the dead pup although she did let me close enough to have a look, I couldn’t see any obvious wounds and it seemed to be average in size so don’t know why it died. The mother stayed with the pup all day and often tried to push it’s head up with her nose and patted it every once in a while as if to ‘wake’ it up. Have had pups die like this in past years and the female has stayed with it for three days or more, it’s sad.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 dive boat, 21 ecotour boats and 9 pleasure craft today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear �� Vis. 15 Miles �� Wind Calm �� Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:57 AM

The Pigeon Guillemots are busy feeding young

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Friday, July 05, 2002 Good Evening

TEMPERATURE: Max 16.0 C Min. 8.9 C Reset 14.7 C
MARINE LIFE: The Pigeon Guillemots are busy feeding young while the gulls take turns nest sitting with eggs hatching everyday now. There have been ‘fish’ balls off and on all day mostly just outside the M.P.A. boundaries so far a good supply of food for the birds and their young. Only one bald eagle came into the area this evening but was driven off towards Whirl Bay before it could get close to Gr. Race, the gulls are hyper vigilant now that they have young and are on high alert to any threats. The gulls around our house are used to us coming and going but the others will dive at us to warn us away and happily use us as targets so it’s hat season and not just to keep the out the uv rays! At night there is a lot of banging and clatter on the roof from the 35-40 gulls that spend the night up there. It is hard to believe there are just birds up there from all the noise. Did not hear the birds screeching last night so I guess the otter isn’t coming around every night.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 23 ecotour boats and 9 pleasure craft through today; we made a return trip to Pedder Bay in the station boat and enjoyed another great sunset on a calm sea.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 11:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 6 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:27 AM

The otter’s nocturnal work.

Posted on by
Thursday, July 04, 2002
MARINE LIFE: 7 orcas (one calf) passed north of the MPA this morning at 9:30, several breached repeatedly sending huge waves into the air on their way west. Two whale watchers came speeding west from Victoria, though skirted the reserve and mostly obeyed the no-wake zone. As a pleasant change, the boats stayed away from the whales and went south to open waters. The whales themselves turned south at Church Point and disappeared west of Great Race.
The otter left a bloody gull sacrum in front of the tank room as the small touch tank was being cleaned. A bloody mass near the high tide mark near the docks is more evidence of the otter’s nocturnal work.
HUMAN INTERACTION:24 tour boats and two pleasure craft through the reserve today. Second Nature dropped off relief for Mike and Carol today before 9 this morning.
posted by Ryan Murphy at 2:49 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind North West 7 Knots Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:32 AM

Several gulls nests have chicks since yesterday

Posted on by
Wednesday, July 03, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max 14.0 C  Min 9.9 C  Reset 12.0 C  Rain tr
MARINE LIFE: Don’t mind the clouds and cool temperatures but really the constant westerly tends to wear on the nerves, the birds don’t seem to mind it – they just tuck their bills under a wing and nap. Several gulls nests have chicks since yesterday, watched, from the front porch, the first chick hatch from the group of nests closest to the house. It’s a fairly slow process, first a tiny, dark beak breaks through the egg and over a couple of hours the chick pushes it’s way out. The adult is on and off the nest checking the progress and when finally the chick is free of the egg the shell is taken about 3 m away and discarded.In an hour or so the chick is dry with yellowy-brown down-totally unlike the adult.The Oyster Catcher chicks on the other hand look very much like the adults except for bill colour and slightly lighter plumage. The Gulls are usually 2-3 years before they take on all the characteristics of the adults.The dark cloud lurking over this wonderful new life arrives between 1and 2 a.m. creating havoc, devouring some eggs and crushing others, some chicks are crushed and some eaten all the while the adult gulls are in the air screeching piteously diving at the intruder to no avail- the otter is on the hunt again! Haven’t seen the otter for several weeks, not even any signs of it like scat in the usual places- was really hoping it had moved on, maybe to Bentinck Island.Some resident Orcas were in the reserve this afternoon moving quite slowly along the south side of Gr. Race they did a lot of tail slapping,rolling and fishing in the kelp.There was the usual flotilla of whale watcher boats which for the most part abided by the guidelines – however after the Orcas had moved east away from the reserve at about 15:30, 2 ecotour boats went by too fast with respect to the no -wake policy and 3 others were too close to shore just west of the dock where there were feeding Pigeon Guillemots. 1 ecotour operator stopped in the kelp just off the northwest bluffs of Gr Race and pulled kelp into the boat for the passengers.Since this is a protected area such activities are not within the guidelines.
HUMAN INTERACTION: there were 5 pleasure craft through the reserve and 23 ecotour boats.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:07 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy  Vis 15 Miles  Wind West 25 Gust 30 knots  Sea 3 – 4 Foot Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:25 AM

Pigeon Guillemots diving for blennies today

Posted on by
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.1 C  Min. 9.2 C Reset 11.9 C
MARINE LIFE:There were more Pigeon Gillemots diving for blennies today ,before long there will be a constant stream of adults to sea and back with food for the chicks.No Eagles until near 20:00 then one mature made several attempts at low flights over Gr. Race but was kept away by the gulls and Oyster Catchers.The gulls have the advantage in numbers but the oyster catchers are tenacious and to my eye sometimes get too close to the eagle when they dip and dive at it’s head, they are so agile and fast.We should be seeing Harbour seal pups any day now, as of yet the 7 or 8 females that usually haul out on the boat ramp to give birth have not turned up .A fantastic sunset tonight -maybe a good omen ‘ red sky at night’………? Would be nice to be rid of the wind ! but shouldn’t complain, better than sweltering in the heat wave back east.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 4 ecotour boats, 7 pleasure craft some on their way to the halibut grounds just outside the M.P.A. boundaries 1 white inflatable # 2H79606 with divers, too fast and too close to shore,disturbed feeding birds.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 13 Knots Sea Rippled to 1 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:29 AM
Monday, July 01, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.3 C  Min. 9.9 C Reset 13.3 C
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:02 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Clouldy   Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 16 Knots  Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:17 AM

fishers reporting a lot of bait fish

Posted on by
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 19.1 C  Min. 9.1 C  Reset 14.9 C
THE DAY: Cloudy till 9:45 then Part Cloudy  Vis 15 Miles  Wind Light All Day  Sea Rippled  In all a great Day
MARINE LIFE: Mature bald eagle made one flight just after 6 this morning but was driven out by the gulls and all was quiet until a juvenile eagle arrived approx. 16:00. The gulls were quickly in the air and the young eagle gave up rather easily and headed off towards Bentinck Island.Just at suset a lone adult bald eagle flew low over the water by West Race but the gulls spotted the big bird and headed it off before reaching Gr. Race. It really is amazing how the gulls work together to chase pedators away. One of the large Elephant Seals spent several hours floating with his head just above the water near the east tip of Middle Rock.In the late afternoon there was a fair size fish ball near the kelp bed south of Gr. Race, the birds had a good feed.The sports fishers talking on the VHF radios are reporting a lot of bait fish so hope it’s a good supply for the nesters and their young this year.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 9 ecotour boats and 3 pleasure craft through the reserve.The Hyaku was in this morning with Garry, Angus and guest to film the boats in the Victoria to Maui race, unfortunately no wind and in fact it was about 16:00 before the first boat reached Race Passage! The Hyaku did a couple of tours in the reserve this afternoon but did not come ashore.
posted by at 6:01 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind North East 5 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:27 AM