Glued the edge of the desalinator bunker door back on.
Cleaned the solar panels.
Boats
Between 15-20 eco-tours came into the reserve today; I lost count.
Most of them appeared to be too close to the sea lions at one point or another.
Once there were 4 eco-tours in the reserve at the same time.
Another time there were 5 eco-tours within the reserve.
Two times the small Prince of Whales boats went THRU the South Channel.
When marine mammals are present, this channel is too narrow for boats to pass through (the minimum distance for boats viewing marine mammals is 100 metres!)
Both times there were many sea lions present, including several that were already swimming in the channel or near the entrances.
Most of the sea lions were at the right hand entrance to the channel. Unfortunately both times the boat had already passed thru that entrance before I could get a photo.
I did get some photos of one PoW boat in the middle of the channel, and exiting it.
Several pleasure craft passed through the reserve as well, including a sail boat that was towing a smaller boat (reminiscent of motorhomes that tow cars).
I wasn’t able to get photos of all these boats, as I didn’t always have the camera on me. I also accidentally deleted a few photos.
Elephant Seals: 17 (12 on Great Race, 5 on Middle Rock)
River Otter: 1
Seagulls: 563
Pigeon Guillemots: 54
Black Turnstones: 51
Canada Geese: 21
Black Oystercatchers: 14
Savannah Sparrows: 6
Bald Eagles: 5 (4 immature, 1 adult)
Rock Sandpipers: 4
Cormorant: 2
Surfbird: 1
Maintenance
Canada Goose themed work.
Boats
One eco-tour came by today.
Had a phone call from Kyle this morning to let me know that he would be picking me up around 13:00 for a First Nations cultural sensitivity workshop at Pearson College.
This was a surprise to me, but nice to get off the island for a few hours.
Always good to be reminded and educated on past and present issues.
Visitors
When Kyle arrived to pick me up he came ashore to take a look at a few things, and then admire the elephant seals.
In the morning Chunk went into the water; he returned a couple of hours later. “Watch” him climb over a log in the photo slideshow!
Conducted a census. Unfortunately the gale force winds started up just before I climbed the tower to do the largest portion of the census, so by the time I began, many animals had fled seeking shelter.
California Sea Lions: 44
Northern Sea Lions: 13 (1 branded with ?6Y)
Elephant Seals: 2
Seagulls: 106 (there were more before I did my count)
Pigeon Guillemots: 80 (these I counted before the gale)
Cormorants: 57 (there were more before I did my count)
Saw a northern sea lion with a cooker cutter shark scar.
Noticed at least 50 harbour seals out on the south islands today.
Saw a common merganser wash itself on a rock close to shore. Apparently it is quite uncommon to see them at Race Rocks. Later some harlequin ducks swam nearby.
Saw a jellyfish floating around near the jetty. Not sure what variety it was.
Noticed some grape hyacinth for the first time today. By my estimate there are least 6 different species of flowers now in bloom out here.
Maintenance
Stacked firewood until there was no remaining space. Will have to restart stacking once some of the stores have been burnt up to create space.
Boats
Jeff and his two Belgian volunteers came by with food supplies this morning. Eggs, milk, and bread. Surprised the Belgians didn’t bring me any Jupiler.
Quite a bit of traffic today out in the straight. Documented the more interesting looking ones with photographs.
One fishing boat went through the middle channel of the reserve.
Other
Heard 5 DND blasts today from Bentinck Island. A small one at 12:47, and then 4 medium blasts at 12:50, 12:55, 15:04, and 15:06. The animals didn’t make too much of a fuss.
Spotted two northern sea lions with brands on them. The bigger one seemed to have 76Y branded on it, although the “7” was a bit undefined. The smaller one had three circles branded on its side. I assumed this was a brand, although in one of Anne Stewart’s log posts she mentions “cookie cutter shark scars” so perhaps this sea lion has three of those in a row?
Chunk and Chuckles spent the day in the same positions as yesterday.
Sadly, the weaner elephant seal on Middle Rock seems to be deceased. When I looked over there this morning I saw 8 bald eagles and blood stains all over the rock. I assume that one of the males killed it in the night. The body must have washed into the water.
With that death, we are now 0/4 at Race Rocks with elephant seal pups for 2016; 1 pup killed accidentally and 3 weaners killed on purpose. Killed for what purpose we do not know.
Maintenance
Stacked more firewood today.
Hauled some very large logs off the ramp. They seemed like small boats.
Had some troubles getting the YSI to turn on, so I took the sea water samples the old fashioned way first, before finally getting the YSI to work.
Chunk and Chuckles were both on Great Race today, but I saw no interactions.
The mother is gone on Middle Rock, making her pup a weaner.
Conducted a census.
California Sea Lions: 75
Northern Sea Lions: 32
Harbour Seals: 6
Elephant Seals: 3
Seagulls: 300
Cormorants: 299 (142 on Great Race, of which 87 were Double Crested, 28 Pelagic, 8 male Brandt’s, and 19 unidentifiable to me. 157 on North Rock, too far away to identify.)
