There have been two tagged elephant seals on the main island over the past days, green tags 6397 and 6375. Misery has been on the main island, younger male on west rock. There continue to be a total of around 15 elephant seals in the reserve.
The yearling in the two photos on the left looks like she could be the one that was born here in January (named Squall) but it is hard to tell for sure.
green tag 6375
Bertha is back after giving birth to Squall in January
Two nights ago on my way out to the jetty I was met by an elephant seal. I had originally thought it to be male but when it was on its back the following day I saw a scar that determined it was our beloved Bertha, the female who gave birth to Squall this past winter. She left early February after nursing her pup for a few of weeks and has finally made her way back to the reserve. She has gained a lot of weight since her last visit.
Another Elephant seal
Another elephant seal that has been camped near the generator room for the past number of days has remarkably made his way up past the lighthouse and towards the cistern. He has been fairly vocal today and I noticed a splash of blood on his mouth. He now sits closer to the house.
Dead Canada Goose
The Canadian geese have taken to grazing near the east side of the main house. This morning I found a dead juvenile which puts the total number of geese in the reserve (including adults) to 18.
Yesterday two Whimbrels were seen on the south shore of Great Race and this morning a posse of California Sea Lions was swimming about South Rocks barking in their distinctive manner. Garry alerted me to another weaner elephant seal pup on West Rocks. Today we have 5 e-girls here at the station: Bertha, Squall, Divot (she has raw sores/holes in her skin but seems otherwise healthy), Goat (this one crawled up to the weather station in the middle of the island), and 5086 (Fifty/Fiddy) whom I believe we first saw in December. I had thought Squall had left as I didn’t see her for a few days but turns out she had crawled up into the boathouse to get some peace and quiet!
Plenty of recreational fisherfolk are fringing the reserve. I suppose it makes a cunning sort of sense to hunt near the place where most of the fish are, but there is a self-serving element to that way of thinking that is reflective of why we need to have parks, reserves and preserves in the first place! Personally I prefer finding my dinner on the shore within the intertidal zone where I can be sure of what I am catching and can ensure there are plenty left to restock the locale. Unfortunately for me I won’t be eating creatures from the reserve though!
Today 6 kayakers lingered for quite a while at Middle Rocks; the Sea Lions didn’t like it and went in the water. We think of kayaks as benign but i have found that most animals prefer to know when the humans are coming and kayaks allow us to sneak up on them, ironically causing more panic than a motorized vessel. Yesterday I observed a huge submarine pass within 2 miles of the island. I reckon it was a Trident nuclear sub as it was escorted by the American Coast Guard. I can’t imagine the Sea Lions liked that either!
A big sleek elephant seal arrived yesterday and proceeded to block the boat ramp until I shooed her away and was able to launch. At some point she rolled over and I saw the big scar on her belly! Bertha had returned, but was looking sleek and fully recovered from the challenges of giving birth and feeding her newborn 3 months earlier. Neither Squall nor Bertha paid much attention to one another, but I haven’t mastered the nuances of e-seal communication techniques so I may have missed something!
photos 1-3 credit Helene Cyr
A little tickle with the paddle after cajoling and pleading had no effect…
There are plenty of pigeon guillemots around to cheer up my day! I love their bright red/orange feet and the way they splash into the water when they settle down.
It is good to be back after two months of travel out in the world. Alex did a great job on the ongoing projects the station demands. Cheers buddy!
Squall is now 3 months old and in spite of all the doubters who thought she wouldn’t make it, she is doing awesome. She is sleek, fat, curious and spunky.
There is a yearling female on the jetty as well but she is going through an uncomfortable moult and she has an infection in her mouth that is bleeding and oozing. I hope she heals up in a hurry….
There are about 200 glaucous-winged gulls competing for nesting sites. They hang out all day but they all leave at dusk to sleep somewhere a bit safer I guess…
I am making final preparations to leave Race Rocks today after a 2 month shift. Mike Robinson will be returning to take over responsibilities. It has been a good time with some good storms, great students, and one special little elephant seal.
On Friday late afternoon for the first time I saw Squall in the shallow water near the jetty. She didn’t venture any deeper than 2 ft and was usually only partially submerged.
She spent a lot of time with her head in the 
water and sliding around on the rocks in the small breaking waves. She has been making her way down to the boat ramp area most evenings and back up in the mornings.
I have been working on finishing up two projects: compost container and building a base for a flammables container in the boat house.
There were 4 eco-tour vessels in the reserve on Saturday and 1 on Sunday.
Squall has just positioned herself directly in front of the basement door blocking my exit, I will miss her.
This morning was the first time that I have seen Squall take to the sea. While i didn’t actually seen her in the water I saw her coming up the boat ramp clearly wet after having been in the water. It may be that she has gone in the ocean previously at night or when I wasn’t around but this is the first time I have even seen her near the boat ramp, which, with its 
gentle smooth slope, is the preferred haul out for elephant seals on the island. Maybe it is just a coincidence but this morning we also reached the highest barometric pressure (115 hPa) that we have had in almost 2 weeks. She will be 10 weeks old tomorrow.
The female elephant seal tagged 5086/4665 left the boat ramp area on Tuesday. 6355 is still in the south bay.
On Monday Erik brought out 3 students to the island who stayed overnight and returned the following day. Today a group of 9 will be coming out the island for the weekend.
On Wednesday afternoon the elephant seal with double green tags 5086/4665 hauled out again on the boat ramp and has remained around the jetty for the past days. Today I noticed another elephant seal in the South bay with green tag # 6355. This appears to be the same one that Mike reported in early January. 
Squall has been over by the fog signal the past two days but made her way back towards the flagpole at sunset today. According to Pam, Squall turned 9 weeks old today.
Today there were two vessels in the reserve. In the morning Pinnacle Scuba Adventures (they have a video with some nice underwater shots on their site) brought a group out and dove near the jetty. They paid a visit to the underwater camera and gave the lens a wipe, thanks!
In the afternoon a Prince of Whales ecotour vessel visited the reserve while the current was ebbing into a +25 knot W wind, looked like a bumpy wet ride.
Early Monday morning there were strong winds SE and again this morning, over 40 knots. Yesterday there was periods of snowfall blowing in from the West. Pressure falling, more wind expected tonight.
Misery left the main island on Friday evening, I have not seen or heard any sign of him since. I suspect he might be gone for the season.
Surfbirds
Since the stormy weather Monday I have not seen either of the moulting female elephant seals. Since Misery left Squall has been more active. She has been moving around the island more and doing tail biting exercises. She is attracted to puddles and has gone down to the crane deck a few times and seems curious about the ocean. I have still not seen her approach the water though.
On Sunday there was a large flock (+150) of Surfbirds (Aphriza virgata) and maybe a few Black Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala) in the East bay.
On Tuesday one eco tour vessel entered the reserve.
Have been working on a new compost containing system lately, have poured 6 concrete footings/anchors over the past few days. On Monday did maintenance on the fire pump.
On Monday a young moulting female elephant seal showed up near the boat ramp. She spent a couple days on the jetty until a NE wind picked up. Squall is still on the S side of the house, she seems to be mostly finished moulting now. This morning she was making her way N towards boat ramp but Misery perked up and growled, she turned back and stayed on the cistern.
On Monday around dusk a pod of about 7 orca whales passed by the S side of the reserve near the Rosedale Reef buoy.
It has been quite calm and clear the past few days but a 20 knot NE wind this morning.