A few boats cruising by today, mostly pleasure crafts and a couple tour boats and even a couple sailboats and kayaks on this beautiful day
Greg will also be dropping by this afternoon to bring some water and food
Ecological
the tagged elephant seal that the previous ecoguardians named Eric turns out to be an Erica, she is female
It is unusual for a juvenile elephant to be sticking around an area for this length of time, typically they would be moving along the coast now
There are so many sea lions right now and it seems she does not mind the smell or the noise but it isn’t unusual for elephant seals and sea lions to be hanging out together
Since I got back on Tuesday there have been approximately 15 boats per day, the number varies a bit each day
On tuesday and thursday we had visitors from the eagle wing crew come for a tour on Race Rocks. It was so nice for them to be able to come check out what Race Rocks looks like from the land after seeing it from the water so many times
Greg and Guy are coming by today so we can do a more in depth orientation on the projects and maintenance going on around the island
Ecological
After my walk around I noticed a couple interesting things, first there was a young steller, not a baby but he was still nursing.
Then an elephant seal, which was so nice to see and it had a green tag on it. Unfortunately by the time I got my camera it was already gone.
There have also been humpbacks nearby lately, the past two days there have been 4. Yesterday when the eagle wing crew was here was saw a fishing boat getting way to close to the whales, the whales were clearly upset and one jumped right out of the water because of it. Luckily we saw one of the whale watching boats from BC tours and got a hold of them and they let us know they had a word with the fishing boat about keeping its distance from the animals.
Maintenance
The fence still needs to be repaired twice a day but the sea lions are starting to stay away from the entrance to the generator room with regular clearing which will also start happening around the burial cairns between the student house and the helicopter pad. The sea lions have started shifting the stones around a lot and we want to preserve this important historic area.
Visibility 15 miles this morning, < 2 miles this afternoon
Wind 0-10 knots NE
Water calm
Boats/Visitors:
A whole boat load of visitors this morning! VP of Pearson College Tyrone, Alum in residence Norbert and friends to advise on our solar panel system, a desalinator consultant (in preparation for the new desalinator!), and an insurance appraiser.
Fewer whale watching boats this week, but we have been concerned about the frequent use of flash photography and its possible effects on the wildlife.
Greg also made another trip to bring us some water this afternoon.
Yesterday we watched a pleasure craft approach the sea lions near our jetty and throw some kind of food at them (some of it hit the sea lions). We were able to capture them scaring the animals, who stampeded into the water. They hovered to take photos and unfortunately pose with their open alcohol. Even more unfortunate, the bait that we saw being thrown at the sea lions previously and perhaps this time as well is not suitable for consumption, as many times it has been treated with formaldehyde.
Ecological:
Many sea lions now, and unfortunately a few that are injured. Aside from the two that we have mentioned previously, we have been finding more fishing hooks scattered around and a sea lion appearing to have a nasty wound possibly caused by an embedded fishing hook.
This afternoon we also noticed a sea lion with a propeller inflicted gash on his head. He seemed to be dazed or perhaps concussed due to the injury. Normally the sea lions are skittish and make a ruckus if we get too close, but this one didn’t react to our presence and seemed notably lethargic. We were concerned that he might fall victim to the injury, but approximately an hour later he seemed more alert, reacted to our presence, and seemed to be doing okay.
We reported the tagged sea lion to the researchers in California and were excited to hear that they have some information about him and his early life. We hope to be able to share more soon! This little guy has already swum almost 1500 km from his birth place, Ana Nuevo CA.
Yesterday there was quite a bit of smoke caused by controlled burning taking place on the nearby DND land. They burned 20 hectares of Gary Oak habitat to protect the species (from invading conifers) and and prevent spread of invasive plants.
Sea lion hit by a boat (propeller injury to skull) (1)
Struggling to stay alert and conscious due to the injury (2)
Infected wound possibly caused by a fishing hook injury
Controlled burn on Rocky Point DND land
Fishing hook left behind by sea lions
Elephant seal GE103 from California
Troublemakers!
A big yawn
Recently deceased seagull- we were surprised by the lightness of its skeletal structure.
Census:
350 sea lions
50 harbour seals
1 elephant seal
40 cormorants
60 adult gulls, and some chicks (they are too hard to see from the lighthouse)
No visitors today, but on Sunday Corey drove us back to Race Rocks with some more water as we were having troubles getting our boat to start.
There have not been many whale watching boats but when they are here they often get quite close to the sea lions (within 10m). We can tell when there is a boat present in the reserve by the increase in “barking” and distressed sounds that the sea lions make.
Ecological:
Over the weekend a sea lion was spotted with some fishing line wrapped around its neck. We believe that it could be the same one spotted last year. As it grows it will likely die due to slow suffocation caused by the line. Unfortunately it’s virtually impossible to have someone come to tranquilize and remove the line as the sea lions move on before they can get here. However, if we see it again we will report the injury.
Today we found a large fishing hook which must have come loose off of a sea lion. We’ve previously observed sea lions trying to remove fishing hooks from their skin by rubbing against the jetty.
There are quite a few sea lions all over the island now. We have been delaying our water sample that we normally take from the jetty to avoid having to chase them off, since when they are startled they climb over each other or rush off of the side of the jetty where the water isn’t very deep. The few that have come near the house don’t seem to be moving around much, just resting and getting away from the crowds.
With the return of the sea lions we’ve been getting bitten by little black fleas that we also saw in late spring. They were not a problem while the sea lions were not here, so we’re wondering if the two are connected.
Many of the young seagulls have left or are flying very well. A few of the latest hatched are still here, but the mothers are starting to leave them to fend for themselves.
We have been spotting the odd young elephant seal hauling out for a few hours before continuing on.
We’ve been noticing eagle feathers and dead adult seagulls around the island. Oddly, we haven’t seen the eagles hunting.
Maintenance:
We’ve been needing to do daily fence repairs on the electric fence at the back of the island as the sea lions have been trampling it and breaking the wire and insulators that hold the wire on the posts. Hopefully with some persistence on our part they will learn to leave it alone.
Today we also set up the electric fence that runs between our house and the jetty/north island to prevent them from coming up around the infrastructure. They are stinky and destructive if you let them get too close!
We are still picking up sharp bits of tin and shingles/tar paper/ misc. litter from around the island. Some of it is from the roofs being redone recently, but a lot of it is older and becoming exposed now that the grasses are dormant for the summer. Today we filled two buckets in an hour or two of scavenging.
Sky blue with some clouds. Thick fog early this morning.
Visibility 15+ miles
Wind 20-30 knots W
Over the past two days we had wind blowing less than 5 knots NE, which meant very warm, still conditions.
Boats/Visitors:
On the 27th Guy and Corey delivered more water
Not too many eco-tourism boats despite the beautiful weather
One of our friends is visiting for a few days. Great to see a new face out here!
Maintenance:
Corey and Guy also helped haul away an entire boat full of trash/recycling/unneeded items that we had gathered for removal earlier in the season.
We spent a handful of hours over the past few days collecting approx. 50 lbs of smaller bits of shingles and tar paper from the roofing project as well as other trash that has been exposed now that the tall grass is dry and pressed down from the animals.
Yesterday we washed the windows with a big brush and squeegee to get rid of all of the seagull poop that had blown onto them- much better!
We noticed some bricks protecting a cable by the crane shed were missing, but upon further investigation it turned out that they were simply knocked out of place and buried in the tall grass. We were able to unearth them and get everything back in place.
Beautiful calendulas blooming
Mt. Baker on a clear day
An interesting brand
Beautiful sunset
A young elephant seal that stayed to rest for a couple of days
A sea lion that appears to be hooked by a fishing line or perhaps swallowed a fish attached to one.
Friends?
(1) We took a few photos of boats at the end of yesterday.
Sky overcast, some clear patches (not much solar power generated today)
Visibility 15+ miles, no fog
Wind 10-20 knots W
Water calm. Some interesting standing wave patterns lately.
Boats/Visitors:
On Thursday Greg came in the afternoon to top up our water supply. Pearson alum Norbert (currently alum in residence) also came along for the ride to check out our solar panels and provide suggestions for future improvements. Pearson maintenance volunteer Jimmy also stopped in for the night to visit race rocks before he goes home to Mexico. Safe travels!
We had many hands on deck, so we were able to successfully repair and raise the flagpole.
Yesterday Greg visited with a group of college guests who toured the island.
Ecological:
The sea lions have started to haul out on the N + S/SW sides of Great Race Rock.
The oyster catcher chicks have grown to be nearly as big as their parents and are flying all over!
The seagull chicks are getting bigger and when rival adults attack they now fight back. On Thursday we spotted a chick with one eye pecked out and were concerned that it would not survive. Fortunately, when we checked later it was doing well.
There have been large numbers of black turnstones present this past week, 30+ at once
Seagulls eating sea urchins
closer view
Male elephant seal having a soak on the jetty
Seagull bathing
Elephant seal on jetty
Signs of moulting skin and fur
California sea lions swimming
A small boat far from safety in the currents of race passage and very close to the sea lions.
Siblings hatched within 2 days of each other, one much smaller.
Black turnstones
Seersucker kelp on the jetty
Gumboot chiton
Gull catching drips of fresh water
One of the fish a gull regurgitated to feed its chicks
Blooming english stonecrop
Abandoned nest near jetty. Eggs did not hatch and mother is missing.
Not much boat traffic these past few days. It has been quite foggy and windy (40+ knots of wind)
Today Greg is bringing some water for the main tank. He is also bringing a volunteer from the college who will stay overnight.
Tomorrow morning we will have a group tour the island
Maintenance:
Yesterday Alex Fletcher came to take measurements from the batteries that supply the entire island. We have been having some problems with the technology but the batteries are looking good and healthy.
Our Canadian flag is still down, as the flag pole was too heavy for us to lower alone. We will try to enlist the help of Greg and the volunteer today and get things back in order!
Ecological:
The sea lions are starting to haul out onto Great Race Rock more and more. We will need to put up the electric fence soon to prevent them from coming right up to our backdoor as their local population increases. We are waiting for the elephant seals to leave, as the fence would prevent them from moving freely onto the jetty.
There are now two younger elephant seals who arrived a couple of days ago. One of them went back to a favourite spot of one of this years spring pups, so we wonder if it is the same one.
Waves on a windy day
Some yummy fresh produce from Alex’s farm. Thanks Alex!
Yesterday a small boat came through the reserve and had mechanical problems. Its engine would not start, and it drifted onto the rocks a few times. We were able to throw them a rope and secure them at the jetty where they were able to restart their motor. They decided to immediately depart, and once they got into the current their motor died again. After being pushed back into the rocks, a passing fishing boat was able to tow them back to Pedder Bay.
We have been seeing the the usual volume of eco-tourism boats, 20-25 per day. They consistently come within 100m of marine mammals.
Ecological:
We noticed one seagull attacking another’s chick today, as well as another deceased chick nearby.
Census:
10 sea lions
5 elephant seals
52 harbour seals
300 seagulls, many seagull chicks
8 oyster catchers
2 families of geese, another adult pair
Shortly after hitting the rocks for the second time.
