Tag Archives: sea lion

Sea Lion Injuries

Aside

Ryan Murphy took these photos of some of the injured marine mammals showing up at Race Rocks this year . See more on his Fickr Site .

rmsept282009injury

I heard a very interesting interview on CBC Radio today dealing with the presence of empathy in mammals. This image would then appear to depict “pre-concern”, a concept new to me!

An article entitled “Sea lions at Victoria’s Race Rocks injured by debris, boats” just ran in Victoria’s Times Colonist that quoted me. See it here:https://www.racerocks.ca/racerock/news/debris.htm

Anna Hall, a marine zoologist also quoted in the article suggests showing graphic images to children to warn them of the dangers posed to sea lions. This series is a response to that suggestion and not biased propaganda as I have been accused of.

This image summarizes the article’s headline. Two California sea lions, one with some marine junk entangled around its neck (a death sentence), and another whose front flipper has been nearly severed by a boat’s propeller (it is currently wasting away from not being able to hunt for food).

An update from a NOAA research biologist and a veterinarian who specializes in marine mammals: Both experts agree the wound has been present for so long that the original source of the trauma is impossible to say with scientific certainty. Possible causes include orca bite, entanglement, and boat strike.
The sliced flipper has been cautiously identified as either a whale or orca attack, or a boat strike.

Birds feeding on the water

Posted on by

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 9.1 ºC »» Min. 7.0 ºC »» Reset 8.0 ºC »»Rain 0.8 mm
MARINE LIFE: Another day of birds coming and going, most of the feeding is taking place quite a distance outside the MPA boundries but still many birds setting down here on Gr. Race and surrounding rocks. Still too few Sea Lions for this time of year. Guess they are just too nervous to return, did hear that they have extremly good memories and are most likely avoiding the area because of the blasting.No sightings of the injured California Sea Lion.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 7 Ecotour boats and 4 pleasurecraft today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:31 PM

Northern and Calif Sealions still here.

Posted on by
Wednesday, May 29, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.0 C  Min. 9.3 C  Reset 12.0 C Rain .06 mm
MARINE LIFE: 1 juvenile Bald Eagle which again arrived in the afternoon and made several unsuccessful attempts to land on Great Race.There is a group of about 9 Northern Sea Lions spending a lot of time swimming along the north and east shore of Gr. Race could be the same group I saw and heard in the early hours yesterday.Can hear the California Sea Lions barking off and on during the night,they are hauled out on Middle Rock and the sound carries over this way very well with the westerly.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 2 ecotour boats and 3 pleasure craft. Angus out in Second Nature with group from DFO. Late afternoon Chris out in Second Nature with the students who will be here webcasting etc. A full load with food,supplies and air tanks. Hope the weather gets a little nicer for them.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:59 PM

Good MorningWEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 15 Knots  Sea 1 – 2 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:45 AM