Orcas were spotted along the boundary of the reserve at several points throughout the day today.Our little friend the injured elephant seal has not been seen for several days now. However, the other young seal, possibly a male, was hauled up on the jetty last night.The number of sea lions continues to grow, as does the reach of their haul outs. A particularly stubborn and rather aggressive fellow was inhabiting the jetty this afternoon.Seagull chicks are beginning to lift off. Unfortunately, many are being found to have met their demise at the hands of the river otter which seems to frequent the island regularly these days.Two contractors from Home Energy Solutions in Victoria were here today to install new solar panels. Adam, 22:41:06.
Tag Archives: Orca
Oystercatcher chicks
‘The painters today spotted twelve orcas including babies swimming through the reserve. A possibly dead elephant seal was noticed washed up in the intertidal -but still partially submerged) this morning. Black oystercatchers have chicks! In the S surge channel beneath the science house, two chicks were noticed with a parent. They are still very small. The three baby geese are growing still. Every day they are growing stronger and venturing further and further from their parents. There is an old goose on the SE side of the keeper”s house that is looking very frail -this has been going on for a while now). I would expect that it is on its last legs.’, ‘Adam’, ’12:29:50 ,
Pam and Dennis Visit the Ecological Reserve
‘Garry took Pam and Dennis Birley out to the Island today. Pam does the monthly photo diary from camera 5 from her home iin Leicester England .
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- Pam Birley at Race Rocks 2008
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- Dennis Birley
Pam took the following images when she was out on the island and on the boat. See her gallery here.
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- RR from the back side of BentinckIsalnd
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- Mike greets us at the docks
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- Arrival at the docks from Camera 5
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- Pam looking at sealions, Dennis is texting
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- Mike and garry
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- Pam on south shore
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- Heermans gulls along with others
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- back fro the hunt
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- Sealion
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- Glaucous-winged Gulls
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- Canada geese
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- Pam would like to sit on this bench
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- and watch the harbour seal and gulls
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- Calendula naturalized on the island
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- Re-Necked Phalarope
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- Cyanea in the water
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- Transient Orca
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- Orca
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- Rhinocerous Auklet
Marine mammal Census
‘Orca’, 5, ”, ‘Garry’, ’12:56:42 ,
‘Orca’, 2, ‘Swam north past west side of Great Rock, breaching several times.’, ‘ LBPC students
California Sea Lion’, 40, ”, ‘ LBPC’
Northern Sea Lion’, 20, ”, ‘ LBPC’
Harbour Seal’, 15, ”, ‘ LBPC’, ’17:27:37 ,
L pod heading west
Orca’, 6, ‘L pod heading west through Race Passage.’, ‘Carol or Mike’, ’21:20:29 ,-
Marine mammal Census
Orca’, 4,
Northern Sea Lion’, 4, ‘On middle island’,
Elephant Seal’, 2,
group of Orca approaching from west
Good evening
Temperature: Max. 9.1 ºC »» Min. 7.1 ºC »» Reset 8.7 ºC »» Rain 3.4 mm
Today only three whalewatchers passed by, the weather starts
becoming worse. During our salinity check waves were high
enough to wash over the docks.Just after 13:00 spotted a group of Orca approaching from the west, there were 2 Ecotour boats in the area at the time and they identified these Orca as the L pod with 1 calf. The group was very spread out and travelled in a northeasterly direction along the southern boundary of Gr. Race and although the weather conditions were not the best did see a few breaching.The Orca were probably feeding as they spent about an hour in the area.
posted by Race Rocks Relief at 7:49 PM
Temperature: Max. 9.1 ºC »» Min. 7.1 ºC »» Reset 8.7 ºC »» Rain 3.4 mm
Today only three whalewatchers passed by, the weather starts
becoming worse. During our salinity check waves were high
enough to wash over the docks.Just after 13:00 spotted a group of Orca approaching from the west, there were 2 Ecotour boats in the area at the time and they identified these Orca as the L pod with 1 calf. The group was very spread out and travelled in a northeasterly direction along the southern boundary of Gr. Race and although the weather conditions were not the best did see a few breaching.The Orca were probably feeding as they spent about an hour in the area.
posted by Race Rocks Relief at 7:49 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast»» Vis. 10 Miles »» Wind East 4 Knots »» Sea Rippled / Choppy
We’re expecting a storm at some time in the next day or two.
posted by Race Rocks Relief at 8:40 AM
WEATHER: Sky Overcast»» Vis. 10 Miles »» Wind East 4 Knots »» Sea Rippled / Choppy
We’re expecting a storm at some time in the next day or two.
posted by Race Rocks Relief at 8:40 AM
Blue Heron spent several hours fishing
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.9 ºC »» Min. 5.0 ºC »» Reset 7.7 ºC
MARINE LIFE: Still seeing numerous fish balls mostly in the tidelines outside the MPA boundries but the number of sea birds is down considerably from last week. There were 5 Harlequins in the little bay on the east side of Gr. Race also one Blue Heron spent several hours fishing in the eastern kelp bed then just before sunset flew off toward Bentinck Island. There are 5 California Sealions hauled out along the north shore of Gr. Race that have fresh looking wounds, mostly in the hind flipper area, my guess, evidence of encounters with the transient Orcas that have been in the area quite often lately. There are still about 600 Cormorants in the area, another indication that the food supply is still good.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Second Nature in with Angus, Scott over to work on the the cameras and computers. Station boat out to return Scott to campus and to Pedder Bay. There were 5 Ecotour boats, 1 pleasurecraft through today.posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:05 PM
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.9 ºC »» Min. 5.0 ºC »» Reset 7.7 ºC
MARINE LIFE: Still seeing numerous fish balls mostly in the tidelines outside the MPA boundries but the number of sea birds is down considerably from last week. There were 5 Harlequins in the little bay on the east side of Gr. Race also one Blue Heron spent several hours fishing in the eastern kelp bed then just before sunset flew off toward Bentinck Island. There are 5 California Sealions hauled out along the north shore of Gr. Race that have fresh looking wounds, mostly in the hind flipper area, my guess, evidence of encounters with the transient Orcas that have been in the area quite often lately. There are still about 600 Cormorants in the area, another indication that the food supply is still good.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Second Nature in with Angus, Scott over to work on the the cameras and computers. Station boat out to return Scott to campus and to Pedder Bay. There were 5 Ecotour boats, 1 pleasurecraft through today.posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind North East 21 Knots »» Sea 3 Foot Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:25 AM
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind North East 21 Knots »» Sea 3 Foot Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:25 AM
Counted over 500 Cormorants just on North Rocks
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 10.2 ºC »» Min. 7.0 ºC »» Reset 8.1 ºC
MARINE LIFE: Another good day for sea birds feeding, thousands of birds from Whirl Bay and as far as you can see to the east , every rock including Gr. Race ‘covered’ in birds. Counted over 500 Cormorants just on North Rocks and the rocks to the Southeast and most likely at least that many in the kelp beds. Not many Sea Lions have hauled out, only 15 along the north shoreline of Gr. Race, a group of 11 Northern are bunched together on the high point just east of the house but are very edgy.Most of the animals hauled out are on the middle rock.The injured California Sea Lion was gone at first light and we have not seen him all day. There were 7 geese today.There is no standing fresh water but they do enjoy the greens. A small group – 5 or 6 – Transient Orca were hunting in the entrance to Pedder Bay and took at least one seal. There were several pleasurecraft and 7 Ecotour boats watching the kill. After the boats left the Orca moved west along the shoreline quite slowly and at times rested on the surface for 5 minutes at a time. It took them a good hour to go from the east tip of Bentinck Island to Whirl Bay, I guess they continued west but did not see them again.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There was 1 dive charter in the West Race area, 13 Ecotour boats and 7 pleasurecraft through today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:59 PM
Orca sighted
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 14.1 ºC »» Min. 8.5 ºC »» Reset 11.8 ºC
MARINE LIFE: There are thousands of sea birds busy feeding in the many fish balls, a few inside the MPA but most of the action in about 1/2 to 1 mile past the boundaries. Many of the birds come into the reserve to rest ashore and in the kelp so there is a constant flow of birds back and forth. A small group of Orca were sighted southeast of Gr. Race travelling westsouthwest.1 Canada goose came ashore up over the rocks by the winch house causing a stampeed of sea lions. The gulls and other birds move among the sea lions all the time but for some reason, the goose rising up out of the water waving it’s neck and moving towards them was somewhat of a threat.The goose seems to have an injured left wing and moved into a protected area among some large boulders and except to pop it’s heard up every once in a while for a look around has stayed put all day. Cannot get close to the goose to assess it’s condition as any movement would disturb the 60 or so sea lions hauled out all along the shore.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 11 Eco tour boats and 7 pleasure craft through the reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:25 PM
TEMPERATURE: Max. 14.1 ºC »» Min. 8.5 ºC »» Reset 11.8 ºC
MARINE LIFE: There are thousands of sea birds busy feeding in the many fish balls, a few inside the MPA but most of the action in about 1/2 to 1 mile past the boundaries. Many of the birds come into the reserve to rest ashore and in the kelp so there is a constant flow of birds back and forth. A small group of Orca were sighted southeast of Gr. Race travelling westsouthwest.1 Canada goose came ashore up over the rocks by the winch house causing a stampeed of sea lions. The gulls and other birds move among the sea lions all the time but for some reason, the goose rising up out of the water waving it’s neck and moving towards them was somewhat of a threat.The goose seems to have an injured left wing and moved into a protected area among some large boulders and except to pop it’s heard up every once in a while for a look around has stayed put all day. Cannot get close to the goose to assess it’s condition as any movement would disturb the 60 or so sea lions hauled out all along the shore.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 11 Eco tour boats and 7 pleasure craft through the reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:25 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind East 11 Knots »» Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:07 AM
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind East 11 Knots »» Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:07 AM