Tag Archives: sealion

Rafting sea lions

Posted on by
Saturday, November 17, 2001
Good evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 9.0ºC — Min 4.7ºC — Reset 7.5ºC — Rain 0.2 mm
MARINE LIFE:Today half the Sea Lion population spent most of the afternoon ‘rafting’ about in the kelp bed on the East side of Gr. Race.What at first glance looks like driftwood and tangles of kelp floating by are actually groups of from three to eight or nine Sea Lions floating just below the surface with their flippers sticking up like little sails.This behavior is evidently associated with heat transfer from their hairless flippers.
HUMAN INTERACTION:1 Dive charter boat with 6 divers -West Race -10:00–14:30
3 Tour boats approx. 39 passengers
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:11 PM
Good morning
WEATHER: Sky clear — Vis. 15 miles — Wind north east 7 knots — Sea rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:28 AM

Branded sealion

Posted on by
Friday, November 16, 2001
Good evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 10.0ºC — Min 7.9ºC — Reset 8.5ºC — Rain 3.4mm
MARINE LIFE: The Sea Lions have moved higher along the shore as the higher tides and sea swells cover their usual rocky haul-outs.Just before nightfall there were 34 Northern and 16 California Sea Lions in the East Bay area,one group of 7 Northern and 2 California on a grassy area 3 metres from the house and about 5 metres from the shore.Another gathering of 27 Northern,21 California and 2 juvenile Northern Elephant Seals have hauled out on the south side of Gr. Race on a flat area by the fog horn tower about 5 metres above sea level.One California Sea Lion has a brand on it’s rump which is difficult to read -first 2 numbers 73 are clear,the last number could be 1
HUMAN INTERACTION:there were 2 Pleasure craft through the M.P.A. today
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:12 PM
Good morning
WEATHER: Sky cloudy — Vis. 15 miles — Wind west 7 knots — Sea rippled with a low north east swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:42 AM

Seabirds feeding in large numbers

Posted on by

Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Good evening

Max. 10.5ºC — Min. 8.3ºC — Reset 9.4ºC — Rain 7.6 mm
WEATHER:The day started off fairly calm but by 14:00 there were 3-4metre swells pounding the eastern shore-this sea condition due to the 40-45knot winds from the weather system 15kms to the east.Our wind never rose above E 22 and then it lasted only 30minutes.
MARINE LIFE: 1500-1800 sea birds,mostly gulls and cormorants,spent the morning feeding in the large kelp bed on the east side of Gr.Race but when the large swells started rolling in and breaking, most came ashore and settled along the ridges on the south side.The 2 Northern,13 California and 3 Northern Elephant Seals hauled out in the small east bay went into the water after 15 minutes or so of rollers breaking over them. Maybe the 35-40 Harbour Seals that frequent this small area will ‘reclaim’ their their spot!
The Sea Lions and Seals do often share haul-out areas but since it is a very small bay I think the smaller seals feel intimidated as the number of Sea Lions gets past 4 or 5.Several years ago one of the Harbour Seals was crushed to death when 30 or so Sea Lions ‘stampeded’ into the water because of a boat passing too close to shore.
An immature Bald Eagle caught an immature gull in the SE rocks area a little after 11:00, spent 15-20 minutes eating and putting the run on 7 crows trying to share in it’s good fortune. Finished eating, the eagle circled the island once then headed towards Whirl Bay.
As the swells roll through the kelp beds much of it is breaking away and floating by in big clumps-a sure sign of winter on it’s way!
HUMAN INTERACTIONS: U.Vic Lifetimer boat with students again today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:21 PM
Good morning
Sky overcast — Vis. 12 miles — Light rain showers — Wind north 13 knots — Sea 1’chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:35 AM

Harlequin Ducks return

Posted on by

Wednesday, November 07, 2001

MARINE LIFE: Over 150 Northern Sea Lions were on Middle Rocks in the mid afternoon, another 15 on North Rocks. Harbour seals are scattered in several little pockets an various islands usually no more than 8 in one area. Many of the Californian Sea Lions have moved to the rocky beach just South of the Tower. I also saw for the first time this fall, the flock of 20 Black Oyster Catchers high on the Rocky shore, to the sw of the engine room.
posted by Garry Fletcher at 9:53 PM
WEATHER: The day was part cloudy and windy with max. temp of 9.3 ºC and min. temp. of 7.1 ºC .
MARINE LIFE: Five Harlequin Ducks have arrived back for the winter. We were filming them as they patrolled through the kelp beds around the edge of Great Race Rocks.
PC STUDENTS: Our fourth day at Race Rocks has just ended. Today, we managed to finish off refilling the oil tanks and this should take us until April. Garry came over to deliver the G3 Powerbook for a webcast later this evening.
HUMAN INTERACTION: One boat with eight people passed by Race Rocks.
posted by Michael Kiprop at 6:43 PM

Seabird feeding frenzy

Posted on by
Thursday, November 01, 2001
WEATHER: We had calm seas for most of the day although the wind has increased to over 24knts in the past 1/2 hour.
MARINE LIFE: Fishing was good for the birds and sea lions today! Just after 10a.m. the sky was filled with hundreds and hundreds of sea birds,gulls,cormorants and common murres streaming across the islands southward to a tideline about 1/2 km. away.Looking with the telescope I estimated 3500-4000 sea birds feeding—-by 13:30 most had dispersed. In a space of three hours we saw 5 Steller(northern)sea lions catch salmon (-that looked to be 5-8lbs) in the kelp bed between North Rocks and Gr. Race. The birds,especially gulls rush over to get any bits of fish that break away as the sea lion thrashes the fish back and forth at the surface.The two juvenile elephant seals that were hauled out in the little bay with a group of about 20 harbour seals, swam out into the large kelp bed along the east side of Gr. Race just before 14:00 and had not returned before dark.Have not seen the large bull elephant seal that spends a good portion of the year stretched out atop West Rock.Did a boat tour around all the islands today and counted 97 California and 27 Steller sea lions. Also counted over 800 Cormorants.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 10:03 PM
Good evening
Max. 10.0ºC — Min. 8.1ºC — Reset 9.7ºC — Rain 1.6 mm
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:04 PM
Good morning
Sky overcast — Vis. 13 miles — Rain showers — Wind north east 5 knots Sea rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:12 AM

Orca visit

Posted on by
Wednesday, October 31, 2001


WEATHER: Max 10.1ºC — Min 8.1ºC — Reset 8.9ºC Rain 14.6mm
Total Rain fall 108.1mm for the month of October 2001- Mean high temp. 11.5ºC — Mean low temp. 8.1ºC
MARINE LIFE: A blustery start to the day again but the weather did not seem to bother the mature Bald Eagle that arrived shortly after 9:00 and stayed for over two hours.We noticed the second visitor at 12:50 just west of Gr. Race,a lone transient bull Orca. He ‘cruised’ along the shore of North Rocks and Gr. Race and then into the kelp bed on the east side of Gr. Race.The Harbour seals were very agitated,crowded together close to shore, bobbing up and down to watch for the whale. Interestingly several groups of sea lions(steller&california) followed along about 200′ behind the Orca. Watched through the telescope one group of 10-12 sea lions follow the Orca about a mile east when we lost sight of them.

 

 

Early Eagle Appearance

Posted on by
Tuesday, October 30, 2001
Good evening
WEATHER: Max. 9.0ºC — Min. 6.7ºC — Reset 8.9ºC — Rain 3.6 mm
Although the wind got up to 20-22 knots late morning, by 14:00 the cool northerly eased off to a dull rainy afternoon.
MARINE LIFE: There are fewer than 100 Sea Lions hauled out but we have over 500 gulls,Glaucous-winged,Western and a few Herring gulls. We counted 190 Cormorants,mostly on North Rocks.The immature Bald Eagle that spent most of the day on the high point of the rocks just SE of Gr. Race Saturday and again Sunday has not been back – maybe the immature gull it caught and ate was enough gull for a while, their preferred food is fish. We do not usually see many Eagles out here this time of the year as they congregate at the rivers like Goldstream which are full of salmon returning to spawn.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:03 PM

No blasting today– sealions return

Posted on by
 Good morning
Sky overcast — Vis 15 — Wind west 9 knots — Sea rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:40 AM

After a quiet weekend (no blasting at D.N.D.) only 85 Sea Lions have returned to their usual haul-out areas.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 10:49 AM

The poor quality video from camera#1 and especially #3 is because of the sheets of rain driven by the 45-50knt. winds we are enjoying at this time! The visibility is very poor but looks like all but 8 or 9 sea lions have moved into the water, the aprox. 300 gulls are all huddled together in small groups facing into the westerly.13 Black Oyster Catchers are together in a small depression on the east side of Gr. Race in the shelter of the house.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 3:48 PM

Driving Rain

Posted on by
Monday, October 22, 2001
Good evening
Max 10.5ºC — Min. 8.0ºC — Reset 8.9ºC — Rain 13.6 mm. As you see it was not a good day for fishing.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:33 PM
The poor quality video from camera#1 and especially #3 is because of the sheets of rain driven by the 45-50knt. winds we are enjoying at this time! The visibility is very poor but looks like all but 8 or 9 sea lions have moved into the water, the aprox. 300 gulls are all huddled together in small groups facing into the westerly.13 Black Oyster Catchers are together in a small depression on the east side of Gr. Race in the shelter of the house.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 3:48 PM

Herring Balls in Race Passage.

Posted on by
Thursday, September 27, 2001

We enjoyed a fairly typical fall day weather-wise here at Race Rocks today.
Temperatures max 12.0 C — min 9.1 C — reset 11.3 C — Total rain fall for the day 0.4 mm.
Returning from a noon meeting on campus we did a boat tour around all the islets – we counted
280 Northern or Steller sea lions – 295 Californian sea lions and 220 Harbour seals hauled out on the rocks. We also counted approx. 80 Cormorants. Earlier in the day we saw 2 ‘ fish balls’ with several hundred sea birds feeding just east of Great Race.