Tag Archives: Sea Otter

Sunshine and a Sea Otter

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Today was the warmest, most beautiful day I’ve had yet! Clear blue sky, glassy calm water, and barely a breeze in the air.

As I took my morning coffee for a walk around the site I quickly found Ollie wrapped up in the kelp bed behind the student house. I crept down to the rocks, careful not to wake him and spent close to an hour watching him float in the sun, occasionally rubbing his fluffy little face. This is the closest Ollie encounter I’ve had so far and it was a great way to start my day.

When the weather is this nice you never want to go inside so I decided to tackle my outdoor to do list (see below for facility work). I took a few breaks to check on Ollie and he was in the same spot wrapped up in the same kelp until 5pm when I finally went inside. I saw a few porpoises from the kitchen window as I made dinner which was a nice surprise. Harbour porpoises are tiny and barely make a blip in the waters surface, so days like today are the only days I really get a chance to see them.

I was hoping to capture Ollie at sunset but of course he had moved on by the time I went back outside. I checked on the other animals around the main island and just as I got to the jetty guess who I found? Ollie again right off the rocks and swimming like he was a man on a mission! Considering adult sea otters eat a quarter of their body weight in food a day I was surprised I didn’t see him with any urchins or other snacks today.

In other animal news, one of the female elephant seals has a green flipper tag so I reached out to some contacts for further information. I was able to learn that she was tagged in 2023 in Año Nuevo, California! This is the first time that she has been sighted since then and the researchers were thrilled to hear she survived her first year. How cool!

This girl travelled nearly 1,500km to get here!

 

Facility Work:

Scrubbed solar panels – today is day 3 of not using the generator because we’ve had so much sun! It’s crucial to keep them clean and poop free so we can get the most out of them.

Weeding: greenery grows fast here including weeds. I spent a bit of time clearing out some areas that were growing back.

 

Wood pile: the firewood pile has taken over the majority of the area by the path so I attempted to organize the chaos for a few reasons. I wanted to clear the walking area for both humans and elephant seals, I also wanted to sort out which wood should be used first, if at all. I really had to brave my arachnophobia for this project but I survived! This should hopefully give the wood a chance to dry out better too, now that its not one giant pile.

 

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

A Dream Come True! (and an animal census)

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Everyone has a favourite animal, maybe its a dog or a cat or maybe its something elusive that you have a slim chance of ever seeing like a platypus. For some people, especially those in the marine mammal field it goes even deeper than that. We have specific animals within a species that we hope to one day see. For me I have two:

CA216C1 Frosty – an all white killer whale that travels between California and BC

T063 Chainsaw – a transient killer whale who visits the Salish Sea for roughly 2 weeks every spring and is recognized by his large jagged dorsal fin

Don’t get me wrong, the list is longer than that…I’ve yet to see K or L pod (Southern Resident Killer Whales), and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a narwhal or a leopard seal somewhere in the world one day, but as far as specific animals go – Frosty and Chainsaw are the top of my list.

Around mid afternoon I heard some chatter over the radio and spotted a few slow moving ecotourism vessels on the outskirts of the reserve which usually means there are whales nearby. I grabbed my camera and ran outside to find the man, the myth, the legend…Chainsaw! I almost didn’t believe it at first but that dorsal is hard to miss! He was travelling with at least 4 other whales including a youngster.

Not only have I been fortunate enough to see killer whales twice since my arrival yesterday afternoon but also my bucket list whale! I think this means that this Race Rocks trip will be a pretty spectacular one, I can’t wait to see whats to come. At this rate I should set my sights high, maybe a blue whale?

Now that I’ve shared my celebrity encounter, on to the rest of the day!

Today was animal census day and I proved myself wrong (see yesterday’s blog post) by spotting more pigeon guillemots than I’ve ever seen before. I did not however, see any turnstones today. Ollie was hauled out on Middle Rocks this morning but I heard over the radio that he was possibly near Swordfish Island this afternoon. Last but not least, I spotted my first whimbrel and hope to see more!

 

Animal Census:

Elephant seals: 4 female
Steller sea lions: 14
Harbour seals: 68
California sea lions: 19
Sea otters: 1 (Ollie)
Killer whales: 5 (T65s and T63s)
Gulls: 264
Canadian geese: 7
Oyster catchers: 10
Pigeon guillemots: 106
Eagles: 3 (2 adults, 1 juvenile)
Cormorants: 17
Savannah sparrow: 3
Whimbrel: 1
Raven: 1

 

Thankfully we don’t count bivalves in the census!!

Vessel Census:

1 private
4 ecotourism – far less today!

Weather:

    • Sky: Blue and clear
    • Wind: High of 11 knots, Low of 5 knots
    • Sea: Calm
    • Temperature: Low 8oC, High  12oC

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

Me Again!

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After 5 long weeks on the mainland…I’M BACK! I was counting down the days and I could not be happier to be back on this wonderful little rock.

The first thing I noticed on arrival was how lush it’s become in the past month, new pink, white, and purple lowers have bloomed and the grass and plants seem to have exploded everywhere.

While I am slightly disappointed that the male elephant seal is no longer here, I was very excited to meet the 4 females that were lounging in the grass outside the main house. They all appear to be different ages and have lots to yell about.

My next “welcome back” greeting came from T49A1 Noah as he passed by along the outskirts of the reserve. Just when I thought that a killer whale greeting couldn’t be topped I spotted Ollie the sea otter drifting and grooming in the kelp near Middle Rocks.

 

Could my first day back have been any better?!

Here are changes I’ve noticed (so far) since the end of March:

  • More kelp beds
  • Less pigeon guillemots, turnstones, and oyster catchers (will confirm with tomorrow’s census)
  • More plants and flowers on the main island
  • More sunlight! I’m looking forward to more solar and less generator use!
  • Increase in ecotourism vessels

Today’s facility work was minimal as I’m just settling back in, however I did complete the month end report which helped me get up to speed on fuel and water inventory on site.

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

Back on the Rock!

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Hello dear readers!

I’ve been lucky to come to Race Rocks on and off for just over twenty years – and there is still nothing quite like the magic of pulling out of Pedder Bay and first catching a glimpse of the lighthouse on the horizon.

I arrived yesterday afternoon to glorious sunshine and a warm welcome and handover from Kendra, and quickly felt at home once more amongst the island’s sights, sounds, (and smells!)

The weather had turned to grey and windy this morning – but who can worry about inclement conditions when there are boisterous sea lions going about their morning stomp down to the jetty for a quick dip?

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the island, re-familiarising myself with facilities and SOPs, and frequently just stopping for a moment to marvel. It’s great to be back!

 

Ecological Notes: 

  • Several orcas entered the reserve south of Great Race Rock, but didn’t stay for long or come in to feed.
  • The lone juvenile male is now consistently joined by two females, with Petal continuing to enjoy demolishing any flowers she can find around the island.
  • Spotted one of three currently resident sea otters.

Visitors: 

  • Greg and Cedric came on Second Nature to pick up Kendra and dropped off some fresh drinking water.

Facility Work:

  • Handover inspection of facilities, fuel, water &c
  • Checked Battery Acid levels and topped up as appropriate
  • Setting up in the Keeper’s cottage
  • Checked safety equipment (first aid kit, fire detectors & extinguishers, &c

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 2 ecotourism vessels

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

 

Weather – Past:
http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Sunday Update

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This morning’s sunrise made up for yesterday’s gloom. All 3 elephant seals are still on the island. I’ve nicknamed the smaller female “Petal” because every time I find her she is squashing a different bed of flowers. Tonight she settled on the largest patch of grape hyacinth behind the house, but not before flattening the majority of the remaining daffodils. 

The darker of the new sea otters spent the morning around the South Island snacking on bright red urchins. It amazes me how they can make their way through the sharp spines and remain completely un-phased. I have not seen the little blonde one or Ollie this week. 

This afternoon I counted 26 California sea lions on the rocks near the jetty. I know this number may seem low for anyone whose here at busier times of the year but until today the most I’ve seen is 10! There was also one large Steller who snuggled himself in amongst the significantly smaller California boys. 

Lots of eagles around lately too!

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

 

Sea Otters at Sunrise

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An early morning alarm clock to watch the sunrise paid off when one of our new sea otters popped up just off the rocks beside me. No colourful urchins to munch on today, just some sleepy floating and grooming. The weather was warm in the morning and cooled off later in the day with the wind. Despite cooling down, the sun was strong and I was able to run the desalinator off pure solar all afternoon!

 

A moment of appreciation for our lone boy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facility Work:

  • Topped up battery electrolytes
  • Topped up generator’s diesel
  • Cleaned inside keeper’s house and prepped rooms for next Ecoguardian

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Ecotourism vessels

Weather Events:

  • Sunday, March 17:
    • Sky: Clear, not a cloud in the sky
    • Wind: High of W 24 knots, Low of NE 2 knots
    • Sea: Glassy morning, whitecaps in the afternoon
    • Temperature: Low 8oC, High 11oC

** All wildlife 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?

Not a Fun Day to be a Sea Lion!

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Another epic day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning I spotted the darker of our two new otters feeding off South Island again. These two might need names if they keep sticking around. Bright red urchins were on the breakfast menu for today, personally I prefer a few less spikes with my coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The afternoon brought transient killer whales past the reserve who spent 2.5 hours in the area hunting sea lion. While they didn’t come super close, they did put on a pretty unbelievable show!

 

 

Visitors:

  •  Greg and furnace repairman

Facility Work:

  • Keeper’s house furnace now working!
  • Prepped student house for visitors

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Ecotourism vessels

Weather Events:

  • Friday, March 15:
    • Sky: Blue sky
    • Wind: High of 14 knots, Low of 6 knots
    • Sea: Whitecaps
    • Temperature: Low 6oC, High 10oC

Two Otter Thursday

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It’s been a busy few days for sea otters! While I didn’t see Ollie today, the smaller of the 2 I saw a few days ago spent the majority of this morning near the South Island. Later in the afternoon what appeared to be the same otter came past the jetty before heading out toward North Rocks. I figured the two new kids on the block were just passing through but its been 4 days now so we’ll see if they stick around. I couldn’t get great photos but I’ll include a couple below!

 

Weather for Thursday, March 14:

    • Sky: clear
    • Wind: High NE 11 knots, Low WNW 3 knots
    • Sea: Flat calm, slight ripple with afternoon current picking up
    • Temperature: Low 6oC, High 10oC

 

 

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

Animal Census and Blog

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Time is flying by here! Nothing too wild to report today, the weather is definitely getting warmer and the solar panels are working hard. See below for more details!

March 13th Census:

Birds

  • Harlequin duck: 13
  • Bald eagle adult: 5
  • Bald eagle juvenile: 1
  • Turnstones: 16
  • Gulls, Glaucous and Western: 130
  • Cormorants: 27
  • Pigeon Guillemots: 86
  • Oyster catcher: 21
  • Canadian goose: 11
  • Surf Birds: 8

 

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion: 23
  • Harbour seal: 40
  • California sea lion: 27
  • Elephant seal male: 1
  • Sea otter: 1 (+ additional sighted March 11th)
  • Animal Tracking and Injuries: 
    • Injuries: Steller sea lion with head wound (see photo) 
    • Tracking: California sea lion with small red flipper tag, no numbers or markings on tag

 

Ecological Notes:

–          Two sea otters observed near the South Island on the morning of March 11th. One was larger with a dark face, the second appeared to be young with blonde cheeks and lacking the nose scar that Ollie is known for. Watched them both for 3-4 hours, they were eating urchins, crab, grooming, and exhibiting other common sea otter behaviours.

–          Still just one male elephant seal on the rocks. Female was reported on Middle Rock by an ecotourism vessel.

Visitors:

  • Greg to drop off supplies

Facility Work:

  • Gardening/weeding
  • Repaired some gaps in the electric fence
  • Full clean inside keeper’s house (on bad weather day)

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Ecotourism vessels, the same 2-3 seem to pass by each day
  • Wednesday, March 13:
    • Sky: Blue sky with some clouds 
    • Wind: Low of WNW 4 knots with high of WSW 18 knots
    • Sea: Relatively calm today 
    • Temperature: Low 6oC, High 9oC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

** All wildlife 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?

Ollie the Sea Otter

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This morning started with strong winds, dark skies, and sideways hail. The wind didn’t let up at all throughout the day but there were brief periods of sun here and there. The darker sea otter from yesterday was happily eating urchins off South Island again but the smaller one was no where to be seen. Although it was hard to spot much out there among the whitecaps. I finally saw the true Ollie, nose scar and all near Turbine Rock this afternoon. He took a quick jaunt over to the South Island but the other otters were not there, on his return back to Turbine rock he passed right in front of the jetty allowing me to get a photo and confirm my suspicion that there have truly been 3 different otters here the past 2 days. How wild is that! Ollie’s light blonde head and prominent nose scar easily distinguish him from the other 2. I wonder if I’ll see them tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Weather:

  • Tuesday, March 12:
    • Sky: Dark, hail, rain, brief periods of sun
    • Wind: High of W 32 knots, low of ENE 3 knots
    • Sea: Large whitecaps, strong current
    • Temperature: Low 6oC, High 9oC

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