Tag Archives: temperature

Seawater Data June 2022

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DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS
Station RACE ROCKS.                     June 2022
Observer Derek/Jillian
Day Time Temp ºC Salinity ppt
1 3:45 9.2 32.2
2 4:15 9.2 32.3
3 5:00 9.3 32.2
4 5:30 9.3 32.1
5 6:35 9.4 32.2
6 7:30 9.4 32.0
7 9:00 9.3 32.1
8 10:00 9.4 32.2
9 10:30 9.6 31.9
10 11:20 9.7 31.7
11 12:00 9.7 31.7
12 12:45 9.2 32.2
13 1:30 9.7 32.4
14 2:25 9.5 32.2
15 3:00 9.6 32.1
16 5:35 9.5 32.2
17 4:45 9.3 32.5
18 5:40 9.3 32.5
19 6:35 9.7 32.1
20 7:35 9.9 32.1
21 8:00 10.1 31.7
22 8:45 10.1 31.7
23 9:10 10.2 31.5
24 11:05 10.1 31.7
25 11:55 10.1 31.8
26 12:38 10.4 31.5
27 1:20 10.6 31.3
28 1:40 10.1 31.5
29 2:50 10.4 31.0
30 2:40 10.4 31.3

New Elephant Seal + Pupdate

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Rhi=Rhi came back and is ready to birth!

Ecological Notes:

We have a new female Elephant Seal on Race Rocks! While she looks suspiciously like one of the returning mothers, without a tag it is hard to tell. She was thoroughly investigated by our local Beachmaster, and sassed Mikey for getting too close. Mikey seems to have learned his lesson to stay out the Beachmasters way, after a few small bites Mikey is now quite mobile and has learned the paths on the island to avoid further conflict.

Lil Blasty in one of the few moments not blasting squawks.

As for the other Elephant Seal Pup: named Nereo by it’s mothers namesake, but I have been referring to it as ‘Lil Blasty’ due to his extreme volume while ‘chirping’. The current theory is that Elephant Seal moms and pups learn each others vocalizations to identify each other, and regardless of the background noise present, they seem to always vocalize at the same volume.

Jocelyn’s vocalizations come in around 50-70db, where Lil Blasty is clocking in at 100-110db with his vocalizations. For reference: WCB recommends not being exposed to over 85db for prolonged times due to hearing damage. It definitely hurts to be outside when he’s shrieking.

The Beachmaster being grumpy that no one wants to mate with him.

Facility Work:

We bucked up the logs that were snagged over the last week, and got them off the boat/seal ramp. Heavy algae growth over the last 2 weeks so we’re started pressure washing the algae to keep things from getting too slipper.

DND events:

Canada’s Navy has started doing tester laps outside of Esquimalt.

Feature Event:

Mikey has learned to avoid the Beachmaster when he’s on the prowl, and decided to explore off the beaten path to avoid any conflict. We suspected he would fall off the ‘mountain’ climbed today, but displayed some remarkable manoeuvrability for a chubby little seal.

Mikey mountain-climbing.

A hallmark of the maturing pup is the wear-pattern on their chins. The chin is a key instrument for Elephant Seal locomotion: where they re-arrange their belly by lifting it up with their chin. The chin can also work to level the seals bulk up onto rocks, steps, and rough terrain.

Mikey starting to show his all-important chin patch.

Weather Events:

January means the start of some epic sunsets.

The last couple of days the temperature has dropped down to 4°C with light N winds around 10-15knots. This is log weather.

Weather – Current:

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

Weather – Past:

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

December 29th – A Break in the Snow

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Ecological Notes:

First things first: the new Elephant Seal pup is doing great! 8 days old today, very vocal and mobile; especially when compared to last years pups. The seal pup doesn’t seem to mind the cold, and we’re reached the point of nursing where the mom starts moving around throughout the day. Maybe to stimulate the pup to get moving and muscle-y, or maybe to get a break from the nursing.

The Beachmaster left the island after the first 2 days of snow. He was spotting wallowing around Race Rocks, so maybe just using the warmer ocean water rather than sitting on land getting snowed on.

Once the snow stopped falling we had a shift in birds, with 12-20 eagles spotted in the early mornings feeding on what looks like bits of other birds. Maybe the cold was enough to provide some good food for all those eagles. Prior to the snow we were seeing 3-5 eagles in the mornings.

The California and Steller Sea Lions have been moving around the islands trying to find spots where they can group up and keep warm. This has provided an opportunity for the Harbour Seals to haul out, something that we don’t see much with the available real-estate claimed by the larger sea lions. It’s funny to me that the seals choose to be on land when the sea lions choose to hang out in the water.

Facility Work:

We have been fighting to keep things unfrozen for the last week, with temperatures dropping the water pipes froze and we’re working to keep the desalinator and other infrastructure from freezing as well. Shovelling walkways and keeping things snow free.

DND events:

Real quiet on the DND front. No boats or blasting over the holidays.

Weather Events:

The snow showed up Christmas night, heralded by the foghorn. Not much snow lands on Race Rocks when it’s blowing, and the cold (around -5 to -7 for a few days) kept the snow nice and powdery, perfect to be swept!

30-40 knot winds and cold weather have made us VERY appreciative of the new windows in the Eco-Guardian house, significantly improving the insulation.

 

Weather – Current: 

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

Weather – Past:

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

Census

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*Note, extreme heat, followed by very high winds most likely has affected this survey

 

  • Bald eagle juvenile 2
  • Gulls, Glaucous and Western,  Adult 78
  • Gulls, chicks …. many, but unable to count without being disruptive
  • Pigeon Guillemots 18
  • Oyster catcher 13
  • Canadian goose 11 – including “goslings” as they look about the same from the tower

Mammals

  • Northern Elephant Seal Male 1
  • Northern Elephant Seal 6 month old pup 1
  • Harbour seal 162
  • Harbour Seal pup 4
  • Steller Sealion 1
  • Sea Otter 1

January 2021 Sea Surface Temperature & Salinity

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

Daily Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity Observations
Station: Race Rocks
Observer: Tristan Blaine
Month: Jan-21
Day Time Temp °C Sal ppt
1 17:00 8.2 31.5
2 14:30 8.2 31.4
3 15:30 8.2 31.5
4 20:30 8.1 31.5
5 12:30 8.1 31.4
6 11:00 8.2 31.3
7 12:00 8.2 31.3
8 10:30 8.4 30.8
9 13:30 8.1 31.2
10 13:30 8.2 31.3
11 13:30 8.2 31.3
12 15:30 8.2 31.3
13 15:30 8.3 31.3
14 15:00 8.2 31.2
15 11:30 8.2 31.3
16 15:30 8.2 31.2
17 14:00 8.3 31.1
18 11:00 8.2 31.2
19 8:30 8.1 31.3
20 8:30 8.1 31.2
21 8:30 8 31
22 8:30 7.7 30.9
23 9:30 7.6 30.7
24 11:00 7.9 30.5
25 14:30 8.1 30.6
26 13:00 7.1 30.8
27 14:30 8 30.9
28 14:30 7.9 31.1
29 15:30 8 31.3
30 15:30 8 31.3
31 11:30 8.1 31.3

December 2020 Sea Water Data

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

December 2020:

Day Time Temp °C Sal ppt
1 14:00 8.7 31.7
2 14:30 8.7 31.5
3 15:00 8.6 31.6
4 * * *
5 * * *
6 * * *
7 19:30 8.7 31.7
8 20:30 8.6 31.6
9 8:30 8.6 31.5
10 9:30 8.5 31.5
11 10:30 8.6 31.6
12 11:00 8.5 31.7
13 12:00 8.6 31.8
14 13:00 8.5 31.7
15 13:45 8.7 31.6
16 15:00 8.3 32
17 16:40 8.3 32.3
18 15:45 8.4 31.9
19 16:20 8.3 31.8
20 10:00 8.5 31.9
21 10:30 8.1 31.7
22 8:00 8 31.9
23 9:30 8.1 31.8
24 10:30 7.9 31.6
25 10:00 8 31.6
26 10:30 8.2 31.3
27 10:00 8.2 31.3
28 11:00 8.1 31.3
29 12:00 8.1 31.5
30 17:00 8.1 31.7
31 16:00 8.1 31.6

Seawater Data: Salinity and Temperature, November 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

November -2020:

DATE time Degrees-C Salinity-ppt
1 13:30 9 32.3
2 14:30 9.2 31.8
3 15:00 9.3 31.7
4 16:00 9.3 31.8
5 –
6 –
7 –
8 –
9 8:00 9.2 31.6
10 9:00 9.3 31.7
11 10:00 9.1 31.5
12 11:00 9.2 31.3
13 12:00 9 31.7
14 12:30 8.8 32
15 13:00 8.6 32.2
16 14:00 8.7 31.9
17 14:30 8.8 31.7
18 15:30 8.7 31.8
19 16:30 8.6 31.6
20 –
21 –
22 8:00
23 9:00 8.8 31.8
24 10:00 9 31.7
25 10:30 9.1 31.8
26 11:00 9 31.9
27 12:00 8.8 31.6
28 12:30 8.9 31.5
29 13:00 8.9 31.6
30 13:30 8.8 31.7

Seawater Data: Salinity and Temperature, October, 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

October -2020:

DATE time Degrees-C Salinity-ppt
 1 13:30 10.5 31.8
2 14:20 10.6 31.7
3 15:00 10.6 31.8
4 15:15 10.5 31.6
5 15:30 10.9 31.1
6 16:15 10.6 31.5
7 16:50 11 30.9
8 –
9 7:00 10.6 30.8
10 7:30 10.4 30.9
11 8:15 10.2 31.2
12 9:45 10.3 31.4
13 10:30 10.2 31.3
14 11:45 10.3 31.5
15 12:00 10.2 31.7
16 12:30 10.1 31.9
17 14:00 9.9 32
18 14:30 10.6 32.3
19 15:00 9.7 32.1
20 16:00 9.8 32
21 16:30 10 31.7
22 –
23 7:30 9.9 31.6
24 9:00 9.7 31.5
25 10:00 9.6 31.2
26 10:30 9.4 31.5
27 11:00 9.7 31.3
28 12:00 9.7 31.4
29 12:40 9.8 31.2
30 13:00 9.8 31.6
31 13:30 9.7 31.9