Jan 19 2003: We have a very disturbing and sad situation here with one of the Elephant Seals. In the late morning an elephant seal hauled out by the boat house, it was immediately apparent that this poor animal has had a run in with a boat prop. There are several deep gashes in the fore head just above his eyes. One eye is very bloodshot and the other eye seems to be getting red. There are other wounds or slashes from the head down to below the front flippers. The wounds are curved slices like a series of long parallel ‘slashes on both sides.The deepest gashes are on the head and right side cheek area. We checked on him all during the day, just before dark he moved into the water. The other much larger elephant seal is still around and happy to say he has no marks on him. He has hung around by the dock all afternoon and at times quite loud. I do wonder if there is any communication between these two great creatures. They are really quite placid most of the time and we can get as close as a foot if we approach from the front. Hopefully the one fellow’s wounds are not fatal. People must take extra care moving boats through the area to avoid hitting seals and sealions and causing what must be very painful injuries. See http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/archives/vidinjureseal.htm for a video of the elephant seal.
You can also see other videos taken taken later of Slash and his recovery over the next few years:
http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/miroungaa/slash.htm
Tag Archives: elephant seal
Three elephant seal notes
Jan 14, 2003: The large Elephant Seal floated along the south shore of Gr. Race until near noon then hauled out on the rocks just below the fog horn tower where he remained the rest of the day.
Jan 16, 2003: The large Elephant Seal continues to spend the night and early morning floating around Gr. Race then hauling out for the rest of the day, lately on the south side below the engine room.
Jan 18, 2003: The Elephant Seal floated leisurely in the dock area all morning and in fact we had to wait around for nearly half an hour for him to move away so we could launch the boat for a quick trip to Pedder Bay
ELephant seal struck by motorboat
See this video of the injuries of “Slash” by a motorboat
This page is directed to all those marine vessel operators who persist in driving at high speeds in areas frequented by Marine birds and mammals. This is a video of an elephant seal that was struck by a motor boat somewhere around Race Rocks in January of 2003. Fortunately he will probably survive, he was one of the “lucky” ones. This is probably the most northern location for haulout of elephant seals . They are docile creatures, unafraid of boats. We just have to slow down and watch the surface carefully to avoid these animals when we are driving around sensitive ecological areas.
Two male elephant seals this week hauled up on Great Race island. One was suffering from severe injuries, probably inflicted by someone driving a motor boat at high speed in the area around Race Rocks.
cuts on the head and body
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- a deep cut above the eye
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- a few days after the injury
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- scars will remain.
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- a yawn on the lawn.
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- still recovering several weeks later
This elephant seal we eventually name “Slash” and he becomes ta docile elephant seal that hangs around the main island for many years. See other videos of him on this site.
- See the posts on Slash:
- See Ecological Reserve Guardian Carol Slater’s comments on these animals in the Daily log of Jan19, Feb 11, Feb13, Feb 14 and Mar 1, 2003
- See the recovery a year later
- See Elephant Seal Taxonomy
at night….snorting, bellowing Elephant Seals.
Jan 13, 2003: The juvenile elephant and the skinny looking Northern Sea Lion have left the haul out on the slope of the southeast rocks. There is a wide range in size in the Northern Sealion population hauled out just now -quite a few in fact in the 300/500 lbs., about 1/4 seem to be the really mature fellows some as big as 2000lbs. Usually there are mostly males but some of the smaller animals look very much like the females which appear more cylindrical in shape and colour more uniformly brown.Very easy to tell the Northern Sea Lions even at night by their growling which they seem to do a lot of as they tend to feed at night.The California Sea Lions sound like a pack of large dogs. Mostly what we hear these nights are the Northern Sea Lions and the snorting, bellowing Elephant Seals.
1 small Elephant Seal
Jan 9, 2003: 1 small Elephant Seal is hauled out halfway down the western slope of the largest of the southeast rocks. Also there is a rather thin looking Northern Sea Lion that could be the one with the head wounds that spent several days hauled out by himself near the house, just too far away to get a good look.
Elephant Seal
Jan 8, 2003: The Elephant Seal spent some time leisurely floating in the east bay and along the south shore below the engine room but did not haul out on Gr. Race.
Elephant Seal spent most of the day floating about by the dock
Jan 3 2003: Today the swells were not so big and the huge Elephant Seal spent most of the day floating about by the dock, he hauled out on the ramp for about 4 hours and is now back in the water snorting and bellowing. The Northern Sea Lion hauled out by the porch has not moved very much all day.
a dangerous place to stretch out for a nap!
Jan 2 2003: A large elephant seal came ashore this morning on the boat ramp but did not stay long as the swells were tossing 5-10 lb. rocks almost to the door of the boat house, a dangerous place to stretch out for a nap. The Elephant Seal has been spending part of the night near the dock the past week and vocalizing quite a bit. There is a Northern Sea Lion hauled out about 3 metres from the front porch, he looks a little thin and has several small wounds on his head,he spent the whole day there, hardly moving at all.
15 harbour seals and their pups
Friday, August 02, 2002
Good Evening:
TEMPERATURE: Max. 17.0 C Min.11.1 C Reset 14.0 C
MARINE LIFE: The elephant seal hauled out on the boat ramp early this morning for a couple of hours then returned to the area near Middle Rock.The east bay was a favourite today with about 15 harbour seals and their pups. The mothers and pups that frequent the dock area did not show up until around noon, I think they avoid the elephant seals especially with the pups still quite small.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Ryan and Alex were out in the Hyaku. There were also 6 ecotour boats and 7 pleasure craft through the reserve.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:59 PM
TEMPERATURE: Max. 17.0 C Min.11.1 C Reset 14.0 C
MARINE LIFE: The elephant seal hauled out on the boat ramp early this morning for a couple of hours then returned to the area near Middle Rock.The east bay was a favourite today with about 15 harbour seals and their pups. The mothers and pups that frequent the dock area did not show up until around noon, I think they avoid the elephant seals especially with the pups still quite small.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Ryan and Alex were out in the Hyaku. There were also 6 ecotour boats and 7 pleasure craft through the reserve.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:59 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy , Vis 15 Miles ,Wind West 17 Knots , Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:51 AM
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy , Vis 15 Miles ,Wind West 17 Knots , Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:51 AM
Thursday, August 01, 2002
heard snorting and bellowing coming from the dock area
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 25 Gust 33 Knots Sea 4 Foot Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:09 AM
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 25 Gust 33 Knots Sea 4 Foot Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:09 AM
Sunday, July 14, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 16.5 C Min. 10.7 C Reset 14.5 C
MARINE LIFE: One mature bald eagle flew overhead late evening and as usual the gulls drove it off but the birds took 30 minutes or so to settle back down.The Pigeon Guillemots take off to sea when the eagles are around and are quick to dive if the big bird flies near. This morning one of the Elephant seals hauled out on the boat ramp next to the boat house door,it took him a while to find just the right spot, but once he found it he settled in for the rest of the day. The last couple of nights we have heard snorting and bellowing coming from the dock area and it sounds like more than one elephant seal but even with a fairly strong flashlight can’t see well enough to tell for sure.This evening there were 4 female harbour seals with pups in the water by the dock, at high tide it is a fairly sheltered area,away from the swells coming in from the west.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 6 pleasure craft, 3 Ecotour boats and 1 boat with 7 or 8 divers.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:07 PM
TEMPERATURE: Max. 16.5 C Min. 10.7 C Reset 14.5 C
MARINE LIFE: One mature bald eagle flew overhead late evening and as usual the gulls drove it off but the birds took 30 minutes or so to settle back down.The Pigeon Guillemots take off to sea when the eagles are around and are quick to dive if the big bird flies near. This morning one of the Elephant seals hauled out on the boat ramp next to the boat house door,it took him a while to find just the right spot, but once he found it he settled in for the rest of the day. The last couple of nights we have heard snorting and bellowing coming from the dock area and it sounds like more than one elephant seal but even with a fairly strong flashlight can’t see well enough to tell for sure.This evening there were 4 female harbour seals with pups in the water by the dock, at high tide it is a fairly sheltered area,away from the swells coming in from the west.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 6 pleasure craft, 3 Ecotour boats and 1 boat with 7 or 8 divers.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:07 PM