Tag Archives: california sealion

Entangled California sea lion

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Wildlife notes:

A third entanglement was sighted this morning on the shore near the Energy Building. Unlike the other two, it was a California sea lion. From yesterday’s Census, 293 sea lions were counted, for an entanglement rate of 1%. Studying Stellar sea lions in Alaska and northern BC, Kimberly et al 2009 reported a 0.67% entanglement rate and in some parts of the world this percentage is much higher. Despite education campaigns like Loose the Loop, this problem doesn’t seem to be getting better, at least here. It is not just sea lions that are affected. Over 100 different species of marine wildlife get entangled in debris. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada, have been busy lately rescuing entangled whales in BC (CBC article) and the number of entangled whale is increasing (CBC article).

This graphic from the Pinniped Entanglement Group (PEG) illustrates the common causes of entanglement. Source: https://pinnipedentanglementgroup.org/sources-of-entaglement/

It is hard to see these entangled animals and know that for some, it will be a slow, painful death.

California sea lion sighted Aug 15 near the Energy Building. Since the area around the neck is dry and there is no discharge from an open wound, this is considered a non-active entanglement. It may be a scar from a previous entanglement.  Hopefully this animal stays around here so it be checked by the Marine Mammal Rescue staff.

Facility work:

  • Clean solar panels
  • Cleaned windows on Keeper’s House
  • Scrubbed side deck on Keeper’s House

Vessels:

  • 18 Ecotourism, 1 private 

Weather:

Skies partly cloudy. Fresh westerly breeze until 15:00, increasing to near gale in the evening.  Daytime temperatures: low 13, high 17.

Sea lions are returning

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Wildlife notes:

I returned after 10 days away to find two notable differences. The male elephant seal is not here and there is an explosion in the sea lion population. It seems every time I look there are more and they are coming closer to the electric fence. I thought the gulls had a lot to say to each other!  It will be interesting watching them. The weather is the same as when I left and I am back to wearing long underwear, sweaters and a toque.

Unlike the elephant seal, this California sea lion is using its hind flippers for scratching.

 

Facility work:

  • Cleaned solar panels
  • Topped up battery fluid

Vessels:

  • 25 Ecotourism

Weather:

  • Fog with visibility less than 1/4 mile in the morning, lifting by 12:00 and clear skies by 14:00. Strong westerly breeze most of the day. Near gale westerlies in the late evening. Daytime temperatures: low 11, high 18.

Foghorn and tower updates

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Ecological Notes:

  • Large female Elephant Seal came up to the centre haul out area on the Island. She appeared to be one of the females from last year. She spent regular periods ca.ling out, before leaving after 3 days ……. a pattern I have seen each time any single Elephant Seal has come to the reserve this season

  • Juvenile Golden Eagle still visiting occasionally
  • One morning there was an extra high number of eagles here….. 40+. I looked for new carrion or any other reason for there to be so many, but couldn’t find any.
  • California Sea Lion that had a band removed a while ago is around, and his neck appears to be healing well

Visitors:

  • 2 techs from the college
  • 3 techs from coastguard

Facility Work:

  • Pearson College IT installed new Starlink system at the top of the tower. Still awaiting implementation

  • Coastguard attempted to repair foghorn system but are awaiting parts now, and serviced the battery system for thew lighthouse
  • Cleaned the filter on the main house furnace, but detected a probably leak in the main fuel line
  • Received new files to re-work the chainsaw chain
  • Cleaned the rest of the outside walls of the student building, save for one area where I couldn’t position  the ladder safely by myself.(once the green is gone, the residue comes off after a couple rains)
  • Cleaned a small section of the roof, but found it pretty sketchy for a “larger” old guy to extend his reach that far above the ladder!

  • Daily attempts to keep the boat ramp clear of driftwood

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Eco-Tourism vessels

Weather Events:

  • Thursday, February 15:
    • Sky: Overcast, with brief showers
    • Wind: N 30kts, dropping to 15kts late afternoon
    • Sea:  .5M chop
    • Temperature Low 3oC, High 8oC
  • Wednesday, February 13:
    • Sky: High overcast with sunny breaks, rain showers
    • Wind: NE 20-25 kts, rising to 30kts in the evening
    • Sea:  waves to 1M, high standing waves in the channels
    • Temperature Low 7oC, High 9oC
  • Tuesday, February 12:
    • Sky: Overcast with a few sunny breaks
    • Wind: N 20kts, switching to E 5-10kts during the day
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low 7oC, High 9oC

 

 

** 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:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Animal Census Oct 6

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Fri 6 October  by Allen and ilka Olsen, Eco Guardians 6 –13 Oct 2023
Warm, sunny, calm seas. ~18C
Thank you to Greg and Cedric for this second opportunity to serve as eco guardians. Arrived at jetty to numerous
sealions not wanting to leave; much trepidation until Cedric showed us how to deal with them before he reviewed procedures and duties. Water tank filled from tank on Second Nature. Much ecotour activity due to sunny, warm Thanksgiving weather; cruise ships. Much whale spouting from humpbacks.

California sealion

Count from tower:
270 Cormorants — mostly Brant
11 Black Turnstone
1 Surfbird
8 Harlequin duck
520 sealions (counted by Mark, outgoing guardian, on Great Race + islets)

A busy week!

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Really hit the ground running this time! Many things going on at the same time, as well as getting myself re situated in the ecological reserve!

Ecological Notes:

  • California Sealions taking over any area available to them. The Steller Sealions pretty much keep to the outer edges and off-island rocks

    California Sealions wanting to hold their ground

  • Now  4 Elephant Seals working their way up the ramp towards the grass area. Looks like an almost mature Male, a fully mature female, and 2 sub-adults. They’re all a little timid, so I’m giving them lots of space.

3 Elephant Seals, just before the male showed up (the sealions are not impressed)

  • Also 1 large male I can hear frequently but can’t find, (maybe he is staying in the water and circling the island as he bellows in the evening.)

Visitors:

  • Various contractors working on replacing windows.

Facility Work:

  • Window replacements on the main house, and soon proceeding to the student building as well.
  • New toilet in the student building!
  • New electric fencing from the power building, around past the outside of the lighthouse, then back to the corner of the main house. Really important as there were up to 300 California Sealions between the student house and the lighthouse, totally blocking off access to the power building (until they were persuaded to leave, but would return the minute the coast was clear)

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Ecotourism vessels and private vessels enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve this time of year.

 Feature Event:

  •  Canadian Coast Guard checked in with us, as they kept a watchful eye on the smoke level and direction from the freighter at Constance Bank that had a fire in some of it’s containers.

Weather Events:

  • A varied week, ending in 2 days of stormy weather with strong winds (up to 50 Knots), and swells from the southeast.

 

** 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:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Warden’s report Race Rocks September 2017

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I was able to get out to Race Rocks Ecological reserve with Guy today and went with former student Joao Luis de Castro and Yan Corriveau. I  wanted to check on what changes have occurred on Great Race Rock Island  since my last visit. Since it was an exceptionally dry summer, the effect on vegetation was evident. The spread of hauled out sealions into parts of the island traditionally not invaded also has left a significant impact on vegetation. It will be important to  follow up on vegetation recovery once the rains start.

This year the sea lions have hauled out and inhabited many parts of the island formerly not used as a haulout . I am concerned that erosion because of obliteration of most of the plants in the area of the First Nations burial cairns could be detrimental to the cairns. It will be inprtant to check on this once the sealions have left again.

The lack of precipitation since May has resulted in a shrinking of the stonecrop that covers the top of the Reservoir. I had never seen it quite this dry before.

 

The sealion haulouts at Race Rocks do not segregate by species as they do in some other parts of the coast. Note the cookie-cutter shark bites on the California Sealion on the right hand picture.

 

Garry Fletcher, Sept 25, 2017