marine ecology educational resource, remote-control webcams,elephant seal colony,Sea lion haulout,sustainable energy, solar energy
Main menu
Post navigation
Weather
Visibility: 15+ miles
Wind: 20-25 knots West
Sky: clear and sunshine!
Water: 1′ chop
What a wonderful last full day on the island for the students!
Ecological
The elephant seals put on a show for our visitors.
Maintenance
The four of us ran the derrick to make sure the thing is still operating smoothly.
Tazi and Maya cleaned the solar panels.
I did some algae removal.
Boats
Kyle came out in Second Nature with two groups of kayak people.
Several sailboats were still returning past Race Rocks this morning and even into the afternoon.
Apparently they were participating in the 73rd annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race. What a wonderful activity!
The distance of the race is 159 miles, and as of right now (Sunday evening) there are still a few boats making their way back towards Race Rocks.
Early morning sailboats
Another returnee
3 eco-tours
2 eco-tours
2 eco-tours
Too close?
3 eco-tours
Visitors
Two groups of folks from the kayak symposium came out to Race Rocks (about 16 in total).
Maya played us some guitar from the roof of the desalinator bunker.
Weather
Visibility: 15 miles
Wind: 20-25 knots West
Sky: overcast, then sunny, then overcast
Water: 2′ chop
Ecological
Much frenetic elephant seal activity throughout the island and surrounding waters.
The speed with which they go from slow motion sparring to sleeping side by side is adorable.
One seal was even snoozing on the ramp with his head under water.
Between 11 and 15 elephant seals on Great Race.
We discovered several seagull nests with eggs in them. First ones of the year!
Maintenance
The four of us engaged in much painting.
The boathouse floor was finished, along with the derrick room floor, and the yellow on the jetty.
In the afternoon we used the shorefront pressure washer to remove algae from several walls.
As is customary out here, we cleaned off the solar panels.
Boats
Kyle and Guy brought out the pressure washer and various other items at 8:10.
One rental boat was caught fishing illegally within the reserve.
I called Pedder Bay Marina to inform them.
One coast guard boat passed through the reserve today.
Also a few eco-tours.
Boat within reserve
Illegal fishing
What zodiac is that?
Coast guard!
Eco-tours
Visitors
Kyle and Guy briefly to drop off items.
In the late afternoon, Maya, Tazi, and Ali came over to the eco-guardians house for tea, cookies, and the American version of Rubber Soul.
Posted in Bird Notes , Ecoguardians Log , Fishing , Island Visitors , Mammal Notes , Marine Vessels , PC Students at Race Rocks
|
Tagged coast guard , elephant seal , fishing in rockfish conservation area , glaucous-winged-gull , illegal fishing , nest , seagull , students
Weather
Visibility: 15 miles
Wind: 15 knots West most of the day, 30-40 in the evening.
Sky: clear
Water: 2′ chop
Ecological
This morning there was a new large male elephant seal on Great Race.
He is far larger than any of the other ones here.
Then in the evening Chunk arrived on the Western part of the island, equalling the new male in size.
Chunk was last reported as being on Great Race on March 4th of this year.
Chuckles was last sighted on Great Race on February 29th of this year.
I don’t think the other one is Chuckles, as I remember Chuckles being smaller.
15 in total on Great Race.
Lots of entertaining e-seal sparring and interactions, much to the delight of the students.
e-seal sparring 1
e-seal sparring 2
e-seal sparring 3
e-seal sparring 4
e-seal sparring 5
e-seal sparring 6
e-seal sparring 7
e-seal sparring 8
e-seal sparring 9
New male!
New male!
Can we identify him?
Ali and seals
Size comparison
Chunk!
His back (pun)
Definitely Chunk!
Maintenance
In the morning, the 4 of us finished uncovering the brick feature under the flywheel.
We also cleaned the algae off of the flywheel and cleaned the solar panels.
In the afternoon we scraped paint chips off the white railings near the derrick.
Did the old water sampling method, as the YSI wasn’t turning on.
Boats
Lots of eco-tours today.
Most of them appeared to go too close to the sea lions.
Several sailboats out on the water; beautiful!
Sail, boat!
Never seen this one before.
Too close?
Other
Approximately 10 DND blasts today at the more easterly detonation station on Bentinck.
This included blasts at 9:30, 9:40, 10:00, 12:48, 12:49, & 12:51.
The initial blast scared several sea lions into the water.
By my personalized scale, the first five were medium blasts, the final five were huge.
For those of you wondering, my scale goes something like this: small, medium, big, huge, massive.
Weather
Visibility: 15 miles
Wind: 20-25 knots West
Sky: mostly cloudy
Water: 1′ chop
Ecological
14 elephant seals on Great Race.
1 on Middle Rock.
I saw 6 cormorants today. Higher than most census counts these days.
Maintenance
Cleaned some windows this morning.
Cleaned the solar panels.
The students did more window cleaning after they had settled in.
Boats
Kyle and Guy brought out Maya, Tazi, and Ali to stay at Race Rocks until the 30th.
About a dozen eco-tours came by today.
Military
Too close?
Too close?
Too close?
Too close?
Visitors
Maya, Tazi, and Ali are now staying in the Students’ House.
They will be of much help in the chore and social departments.
Weather
Visibility: 15 miles
Wind: 15-20 knots West
Sky: overcast
Water: calm
Ecological
15 elephant seals on Great Race.
Maintenance
Boats
At least 8 eco-tours today.
Several of the tours, and one pleasure craft, appeared to be too close to the marine mammals.
The guidelines specify a distance of at least 100 metres.
Weather
Visibility: 15 miles
Wind: 0-5 knots SW
Sky: overcast in the morning, sunny all day!
Water: calm
Beautiful day!
Ecological
Saw a California sea lion branded U33 (perhaps U?33)
16 elephant seals on Great Race today.
A very tiny seal (though weaner sized, based on its coat a yearling) spent the afternoon on the rocks near the jetty.
It had very little interaction with the bigger elephant seals, and then it swam away.
3 elephant seals on Middle Rock.
Saw a hummingbird today.
Maintenance
Painting.
Ran the desalinator.
Boats
Many eco-tours came by today. At least 10.
Some of them appeared to be too close to the sea lions near the derrick.
Weather
Visibility: 15 miles
Wind: 25-30 knots West in the morning
The rest of the day 15 knots West.
Sky: overcast
Water: 2′ chop
Ecological
Finally discovered a Black Oystercatcher nest!
2 eggs are inside the “nest”.
Their nests are made of rocks and shells.
Census day.
I don’t seem to see any Black Turnstones or Surfbirds anymore.
Also less Bald Eagles.
And the Otter has been gone for a while.
Harbour Seals: 117
Northern Sea Lions: 32
California Sea Lions: 22 (one branded U 687)
Elephant Seals: 20 (17 on Great Race, 3 on Middle Rock)
Seagulls: 327
Pigeon Guillemots: 114
Canada Geese: 21 (14 resident geese, 7 stopovers)
Black Oystercatchers: 10 (plus 2 eggs!)
Harlequin Ducks: 8 (6 males, 2 females)
Cormorants: 4
Barn Swallows: 2
Bald Eagle: 1 immature
Savannah Sparrow: 1
Maintenance
Rust painting.
More thistle weed whacking.
You can cut them down like you’re the Queen of Hearts, but they grow back.
Cleaned the solar panels.
Boats
Four or so eco-tours came by today.
Posted in Animal census , Bird Notes , Ecoguardians Log , Mammal Notes , Marine Vessels
|
Tagged bald eagle , barn swallow , Black Oystercatcher , black-turnstone , branded , california sea lion , Canada goose , chiton , cormorant , elephant seal , harbour seal , harlequin duck , nest , Northern sea lion , pigeon guillemot , savannah sparrow , seagull
Weather
Visibility: 15 miles
Wind: 20-25 knots West, later 35-40!
Sky: mix of sun and cloud
Water: 2′ chop
Gale warning for tonight.
Should be less windy tomorrow.
Ecological
17 elephant seals on Great Race. One more than yesterday.
I spied a few interesting chiton remains on the island today.
It looks like the birds were eating some gumboot and leather chitons.
Boats
Post navigation
