Today was stressful. The diesel generator failed to auto start this morning so I initiated a manual run. It started up and ran but did not ramp up or deliver any power. We have a backup gasoline generator here but unfortunately our current system can only accept one generator. Switching between the gas and the diesel generators requires reprograming various system and inverter settings so I had to call Greg who was off sick. Our fearless leader got himself out here, pushed through the pain and got everything set up. Thank you Greg!

Greg with the stressful job of entering the new presets and limits. Richard and I stayed quiet and kept ourselves busy with other tasks. It is a huge room, with a huge generator, huge wires, basically room for anything you want to put in there and the smallest thing in the room, with a screen so small you can barely read, controls it all!

The gas generator is a beautiful thing, purring away outside the Energy Building.  It will take almost twice as long to charge up the batteries but will save us until Old Faithful gets fixed. I’ll have to keep it running until bedtime. Several technicians are coming tomorrow so hopefully it is a quick fix and not a major rebuild. The new power system (solar panels, lithium batteries, controllers etc.) being designed for Race Rocks will have multiple generator inputs and switching between them will be seamless, we just need to struggle a little while longer!

The backup Honda gasoline generator.

Wildlife notes

It is heart breaking to watch a creature struggle and slowly die. A 3 to 4 week old gull chick has been hanging around the Keeper’s House north porch. I am not sure where it came from or who its parents are or if they are still around. It is much younger than the other chicks in the area and still just growing its wing feathers.  The poor thing has been limping around alone.  I took this photo yesterday when all it could do was move its eye. Today it is gone. It brings tears to my eyes to think it never got a fair chance at life and probably died hungry and scared.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• repaired the electric fence in several locations, only to have them destroyed again. The Jetty is the biggest problem area right now as I need access to greet boats and take the daily sea water readings.
• switching system settings for the gasoline generator
• transferring gasoline to the Energy Building
• oil change on the diesel generator

We have been watching this log on the shoreline for many months but couldn’t retrieve it this spring as there was an oystercatcher nest nearby. On the high tide this evening it floated free. I chased the sea lions off the boat ramp and pulled it in with our very long pike pole. Hopefully it is still there in the morning as we need more fire wood to make it through the winter.

My last task of the day at the high tide before sunset. Hopefully the line on the log will hold until morning.

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 19
• Private: 4

Weather

Partly cloudy. Wind direction variable, calm to 17 knots. Daytime temperatures 12 to 14 degrees.

The weather forecast was for rain and 30 knots this morning so I lowered the flag last night. This morning there was hardly any wind but the new forecast called for 40 knots in the afternoon, so I left the flag down.  I also put off cleaning the panels in the morning expecting rain.  I gave up on the wind and rain midday and cleaned the panels. The forecast is not always accurate but this was way off. The swell coming in from the east was causing interesting conditions at the Jetty and on East Beach. There was bad weather to the east for sure.  Ahhhh….. that was it and it only took half the day to figure it out! I was reading the forecast for Juan de Fuca Strait – east entrance.  The forecast conditions for the Juan de Fuca Strait – central straight was exactly what we got. Christine! This is not the place to get sloppy/stupid… small details are important here!

I skipped taking the sea water reading today as parts of Jetty were underwater at sampling time. The brown stain on the walkway and down on the boat ramp is smeared around sea lion scat. It is extremely slippery as well as stinky.

The frothy water on East Beach. The sea lions chose different areas to haul out today.

I watched a Stellar sea lion dive from shore into a crashing wave and wished I had the good camera. It would have made a magnificent shot if Chris Fallows were here.

Wildlife notes

My interest in the sea lions is growing.  I am up the tower more often these days. Initially I went up for fresh air but now I also want to scan the area for new branded sea lions. I’ve spotted seven in the last 5 days.  I will write about them when I hear back from the US research scientists.

Branded California sea lion #456 (purple arrow bottom right) seen from the lighthouse today. The structures in the center are the lighthouse solar panels and fog horn. A few months ago there was green vegetation, many gull nests and little black oystercatcher chicks in the area.

Branded California sea lion #3-24 (purple arrow on the left side) seen form the lighthouse today. This sea lion has a GPS tracker on its flipper.  East Beach is in the upper left, the compost bins and stairs to the Keeper’s House is center left and the concrete top of the saltwater cistern in on the bottom left.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• topped up battery fluids
• fence patrol and repair

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 15
• Private: 4

Weather

Partly cloudy, storm clouds distant. Wind direction variable. Mostly 2 to 13 knots except for a quick burst of 24 knots from the SE at 17:00 that blew open the screen door on the Keeper’s House north entrance.  Shame there was only a few drops of precipitation today as everything needs a cleaning.

The electric fence dividing the California and Stellar sea lions in the brown flats and the gulls on the white rocks. Each has influenced (and blends with) its environment: the flats – trampled down and brown with sea lion fur and excrement; and the rocks – painted white with sea gull guano.

Wildlife notes

There seems to be a few more sea lions here today, especially in the flats/lowlands that join East Beach and the rocky shore by the Jetty.  This morning I noted #547, a new branded sea lion, by the Energy Building beach.  At 3 pm and again at 5pm I found him on the Jetty busting up the wooden electric fence posts. As much as they look like a bunch of fat barking lay abouts, I don’t believe these boys are idle all day but likely move around at least as much #547. There are always a few in the water playing and splashing near the shore or swimming further out and a few wet ones in the crowd on land.

Facility work

Some parts of the electric fence need daily fixes.  The fence along the Jetty and boat ramp was repaired twice today!

The guilty boat ramp gang responsible for taking down and scattering the electric fence.

#547 on the Jetty, ready to go over the side and break another post.

• cleaned solar panels
• fence patrol
• two rounds of fence repair

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 19
• Private: 4

Weather

Partly cloudy. Winds W or WNW 12 to 24, shifting to SW in the early evening. Daytime temperatures 10 to 16 degrees.

Wildlife notes

The sea lions are never still or quiet and there are constant arguments and interactions. Even within the piles or rows of sleeping ones there is more movement than I expected. It is a fluid scene and a bit like watching clouds, where you need to look away for a bit to appreciate the change.  The new wet ones that come in from the water shake things up as they clammer over the mostly unresponsive sleeping bodies. In these large groups they seem to tone down their sensitivities to being touched or climbed on.  This morning I watched a startled lone sea lion bolt up when a gull chick touched its flipper.

I find they are most beautiful in the light of the rising or setting sun when their browns and oranges are highlighted.  I’ve tried to capture it with my phone camera.

Not too long ago this piece of shoreline was a great place to watch the Coast Guard black oystercatcher chicks and the harbour seal moms and pups. Today in the early morning sun I watched the breath and moisture evaporate off the sea lions. The large sea lion in the foreground is spread eagle on its back, rear end facing the camera. One could run out of ideas naming their many sleeping positions.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• fence repairs at the Jetty
• tallied fuel and water supplies and worked on the month end report

Vessels

There were humpbacks around today and it was a busy day on the water.

• Ecotourism: 30
• Private: 6
• Jet ski with two people

Weather

• Mostly clear, becoming cloudy in the evening.  Winds calm to 10 knots, direction variable.

What a breathtaking sunrise we had this morning. I was hoping for the forecasted rain to help chip away at the uppermost layer of guano settled every across the rocks but was greeted by a multi-layered rainbow instead. Incredible!

At times the enchantment of this place is found in its proximity, the rumble of a Steller’s roar felt through your feet as you walk along dodging new fledglings and protective gulls, or the hot breath of a California sea lion observing from a rock below as you head down the jetty. But so much wonder is also in its openness to the elements. The flicker of a whale’s presence, the shifting, moody clouds of the Salish Sea, and sometimes even a glorious sunrise touched by each end of the visible light spectrum.

Wildlife Notes

Another calm morning sea revealed a whale sighting! I’m beginning to wonder if I’m having confirmation bias and labelling everything humpback because it’s the most easily distinguishable species to me after orcas- to slow with the camera but I drew out a few quick sketches to keep the shape of the dorsal fin in my mind for double checking against identification guides. I’m still pretty sure it was a humpback! It also took two deeper dives, plunging out of sight for a longer while after a show of impressive tail flukes.

I spotted a new tagged sea lion while taking the seawater sample, but didn’t quite manage to catch the number. The quickly fading light and distance weren’t in my favour- but perhaps tomorrow I’ll get another chance.

Facilities

Yesterday’s cloudy skies meant the batteries drew down just before the sun and a good cleaning could keep levels up so the generator kicked on at around 7am this morning. I ran the desalination pump for a few hours, hoping to leave Christine with a solid supply of freshwater for her arrival Saturday afternoon.

The rest of the day has been continuing to deep clean the main house, and packing up for the next adventure.