Tag Archives: Orca

Animal Census-July 28, 2021

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Weather: west wind 15 knots, fog cleared by 8 a.m. visibility good

Tide .8 m at 12 noon

Elephant Seal 1 male, 1 female
Orcas 4
Seals 68 (13 pups?) on south and south seal rocks
Sea Lions both Stellar and California 60 on middle and west rocks
Gulls

While I was counting these gulls there were 2 “feeding flocks” just off the island with about 1000 gulls so there may have been fewer gulls on the islands than usual
660 on rocks below generator shed western and glaucous winged gulllls
110 on island “nesting” mostly glaucous winged gulls but several western/hybrid gullls nesting as well
estimate of between 80 and 150 chicks

Cormorants 14
Pigeon Guillemots 56
Surfbirds 8
Black turnstones 58
Black Oystercatcher 18? they are hard to count as they move around so much 1 new chick!

Bald Eagle 1

Western sand piper 4

can you identify this bird? red knot ?

Bird Courting Time

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Ecological Notes:

  • 6 female Elephant Seals, 3 molting very heavily
  • 2 Elephant Seal pups, one spent much of the day soaking in the water at the end of the boat ramp
  • Although not right in the reserve, observed one Humpback whale, about 1 mile south, and Transient Orca between the reserve and Bentinck Island. Identified as the T101’s and T100B’s
  • Lots of courting behavior observed with the Pigeon Guillemots, and also the Harlequin ducks

Pigeon Guillemots

Harlequin Ducks

Facility Work:

  • Pressure washing main building

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 5 EcoTourism boats, spread throughout  the afternoon
  • 3 separate sport boat went through the reserve at high speed, luckily no obvious disturbance of the animals other than noticeable wake

Weather Events:

  • Cloudy with sunny breaks, Calm seas

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Orca

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Ecological Notes: 7 Biggs Orca going west in Race Pass at 10:20.The whales IDs reported to me as the T109A2s with new calf T109A2C and the T86As pod.

Lots of Eagles around the island.

Vessel Traffic: 3 Eco tour boats in park today and two private boats.

Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

Orca

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Ecological Notes:Yesterday was special day!  I was lucky to see the southern resident J17 orca pod swim west through Race Pass. Around 16:00, the pod traveled into the pass heading west. A black bear was sighted by an Eco-tour boat on Vancouver Island side walking the shoreline. The bears are waking up from hibernation and searching for food. Four elephant seal pups remain on the main island as well as one adult female and male. Lots of eagles, gulls and Canadian geese. The Canadian geese are very noisy and roam the island like they own the place!  Lol.

Vessel Traffic : For most of the morning,a dive boat had divers doing drift dives in the main channel. Two Eco-tour boats and one private boat were sighted during the day.

 

 

 

Orca

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Two Orca”s were spotted west of Race Rocks and into Race Pass. Whales were swimming into a strong tide in a resting mode. The whales did not make way until dark. Likely, the same whales as Sunday. They were to far away to get pictures for identification. Sea lions moved to the North East side of main island. Elephant seals are starting to molt and are very sleepy.

Census and Orcas.

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Animal Census: Feb 17 2021
Gulls 68
Cormorants 738
Pigeon Guillemots 54
Eagles 12
Black Turnstones 28
Harlequin ducks 7
Steller sea lions 77
California sea lions 39
Pacific Harbour seal 62
elephant seal male 2
elephant seal female 2 pups
orca 4
Biggs orcas 7 East bound Southern Resident Lpod J, k pod west bound.

Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

wind west 20 knots sky over cast and rain visibility 10 nm sea state 3 foot chop. 

4 Elephant seal pups remain

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Well I was wrong. I should have spent more time looking for the injured elephant seal pup my bad. We still have 4 elephant seal pups on the Island. The one female elephant seal did leave boat ramp. Some of the southern resident L pod where west bound passing by Saturday in the morning. Heard that J and K pod were coming my way. So I stay up on top of the light till dusk looking no luck spotting them.

Wind is from the west this morning steady 22knots and raining.

New Ecoguardian at Race Rocks Ecological reserve

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Good day from Race Rocks I am new. My name is Rod just getting things going after crew change. Please be patient with me.
Ecological Notes: 12 eagles working around the island.
 
Animal Tracking and Injuries: and Elephant seal pups:
Elephant seals are keeping me entertained and up all night. Beach master is back. The other male tucked in around the east side back of the house last night. He has a nasty wound on his nose. One pup on the west side has bad wound on his hind. Two teeth marks and one gash. One other female has returned is sitting on boat ramp. Hoping she will call her pup to the ocean.
 
Disturbances: Yesterday Rocky Point was live lots of loud bangs. Seven Orca in Race pass stopped them from blasting till they safely passed. Thanks Anna for spotting them. The wind has been all over the compass west this morning. 
Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weekend front moving in:)
Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72
Other notes: