Tag Archives: transient orca

August 20

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This is my last log post, as I am heading home tomorrow. This evening, I am packing my things and tidying the house for the next ecoguardian.

I have enjoyed my time at Race Rocks over the past three weeks, as well as my many shifts since 2014 and visits since 2012. Over those years, I have been the resident ecoguardian here for varying shifts of two weeks to four months, during every season and all months except June. There have been so many special moments to witness such as watching storms, elephant seal pups, moulting elephant seal, sea otters, orcas, humpbacks, pelicans, as well as learning how to run the off grid systems. I would also like to think that I have done some work around the island to contribute to things not falling apart.

I plan to pursue other adventures next summer. When I visit Pearson at some point in the future, I hope to hop on a boat for a reminder of the familiar sights, sounds, and strong smells of Race Rocks. In the meantime, I look forward to following along with the log and checking out the webcams every once in a while.

Thank you to the staff team at Pearson College who keep this place running so well (despite the best efforts of the harsh elements) and have let me come back to spend more time on this unique island. I am truly honoured to be a part of the long list of ecoguardians, students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and lighthouse keepers who have stewarded this ecological reserve since its inception in March 1980.

Wildlife Notes:

  • On my last full day here, I was treated to seeing two Bigg’s killer whales (AKA transient orcas) pass very close to me this afternoon. I was talking to a colleague on the phone when I saw the orcas passing east through the channel in front of the house. They then swam around the island where I saw them pass through the South Channel (about 50m from the back porch) between the South Islands and South Seal Rocks. Right after I snapped a few photos of them, a heavy fog rolled in obscuring the whole island.
  • I heard back about the resighting history of the Steller sea lion branded 460Y that I saw on August 13. I spotted him again today hauled out on the South Seal Rocks.
    Bryan, a biometrician from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, sent me this full history of this 12 year old Steller sea lion:

Resight history for Steller sea lion branded 460Y

Facility work:

  • Clean the solar panels
  • Tidy the house and put away all the tools I moved around to different buildings
  • Fix sections of the electrical fence between the house and tower. I had been avoiding that section due to the gull chicks and my dislike of getting pooped on by protective gull parents. Now, many of the chicks have flown away so the area is easier to access. I will fix the last part by the tower tomorrow morning and hopefully come away unscathed.

Vessels:

  •  Ecotourism: 19
  •  Private: 2

Weather:

  • Sky: fog at sunrise, then clear until 3:30 when fog obscured the island for an hour, then back to clear
  • Wind: W 12-28 knots
  • Sea: rippled
  • Air temperature: low 11 °C, high 15 °C
  • Seawater temperature at max flood: 11.1 °C

Photos from today:

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

August 7

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Wildlife Notes:

  • Orcas and humpback whales were south and east of the ecological reserve throughout the day. I did not get any photos, but enjoyed catching occasional glimpses of them through the binoculars.

Facility work:

  • I replaced the hand winch on the boat cradle. The old winch was getting rusty and the strap was beginning to fray. I also tested all the electronics on the boat and motor while it was tied to the jetty.

Vessels:

  •  Ecotourism: 18
  •  Private: 4

Weather:

  • Sky: Partly cloudy
  • Wind: West 15-30 knots
  • Sea: rippled in morning, up to 2′ chop in afternoon
  • Air temperature: low 13 °C, high 17 °C
  • Seawater temperature at max flood: 11.1°C

Photos from today:

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

August 5

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Wildlife Notes:

  • A brown pelican flew by the ecological reserve this afternoon, stopping off briefly in the water on the east side, just past the large kelp bed. The pelican did not stay long before flying back through the south channel, which allowed me to snap photos (see below) of the big bird in flight.
  • After five days off looking from afar, I finally was able to see some of this year’s black oystercatcher chicks. Christine’s map of oystercatcher nests from June 1 has helped me find where the oystercatcher pairs are located, but the chicks are either too well camouflaged or are no longer around.
    This afternoon, two chicks and their parents were between the ecoguardian’s house and the edge of the east beach. The chicks are looking more like adults with their orange bills, pink legs, and black feathers. Like other chicks born on Race Rocks, they begin their lives blending into the rocks as grey fluff balls.
  • This afternoon, there was a flock of ecotour boats gathering to the northwest of the ecological reserve. A pod of orcas in Race Passage (directly to the north) were travelling near the shore of Bentinck Island.

Facility work:

  • Top up the water in the batteries
  • General tidying
  • Take measurements for an instrument installation

Vessels:

  •  Ecotourism: 18

Weather:

  • Sky: Cloudy
  • Wind: variable 0-18 knots
  • Sea: rippled
  • Air temperature: low 13 °C, high 16 °C
  • Seawater temperature at max flood: 11.4°C

Photos from today:

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

Back Again!

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Hello again!

What better way to ring in 2025 than to spend it here on the rock? I’m only here for a week, bridging the gap between two other Ecoguardians but I’ll take any time out here that I can get!

I arrived around noon and the tide was so high it was nearly over the jetty which I’ve never seen before (secretly hoping for a good storm this week). Spent the afternoon settling back in and spent a fair bit of time outside in the afternoon and exploring whats changed in the past couple of months.

Certainly less sea lions but still more than I was expecting, no elephant seals (yet), and all the humpbacks seem to have gone off to warmer waters – I don’t blame them, it is freezing out here.

I did get a lovely welcome home pass by from transient killer whale T49C Neilson who is one of my favourites around here!

Looking forward to finding more creatures this week!

Bald Eagles on Patrol

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Ecological Notes:

  • Transient Orca, T036As, passed through the edge of the reserve mid day
  • Observed at least 2 Humpback whales west of the reserve in the distance
  • Up to 20  Bald Eagles here each morning, many seen hunting gulls

Visitors:

  • Waterfront team (3), delivering supplies and groceries and worked on some projects

Facility Work:

  • Removed filters from the desalinator, storing the main reverse osmosis one in water

  • Cleaned and mopped out desalinator bunker

  • Small window on the main house basement door was replaced

  • Cleaned the main house windows of salt

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • With calmer water, 2 different ecotourism vessels

Weather Events:

  • Thursday, December 19:
    • Sky: High overcast, with occasional sunny gaps, some light rain showers
    • Wind: N 20-25kts, dropping in the evening
    • Sea: slight chop
    • Temperature Low 4oC, High 8oC
  • Friday, December 20:
    • Sky: Overcast, low clouds to the far south of the strait
    • Wind: W/WSW 16-37 kts
    • Sea:  very light chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Saturday, December 21:
    • Sky: Overcast, occasional rain showers, clear star filled sky late evening
    • Wind: W/WSW dropping to 5 kts by noon, rising to W 25kts late afternoon, before gradually dropping over the evening
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 10oC

 

 

** 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?

Incoming Wind

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Well, the run of nice and windless weather is coming to an end. The predicted wind for tonight is up to 50 knots (90km/hour) so we are battening the hatches!

The last couple days have been beautiful with whales everywhere you look. My dad is now a seasoned pro at electric fence repairs and it so nice (and helpful) to have him here!

We got some work done this morning and are making sure everything is tucked away for tonight’s wind and the rain that is supposed to accompany it. We even had a nice pass from 4 transient killer whales as we worked! 

Facility Work:

  • Topped up battery electrolytes
  • Chopped wood
  • Diesel transfer up to the generator
  • Electric fence repair

Eco vessels: 8

Weather:

  • Sky: Overcast
  • Wind: Low of 3 knots, high of 25 knots, with gusts up to 33 knots
  • Sea: Whitecaps in the afternoon
  • Temperature: Low  5•C, High  11•C

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

Farewell! (For Now)

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Well, just like that it’s been 6 weeks and it’s time for me to return to the mainland. The wind is gusting 65km/hour right now, giving me one final storm before my departure. The animals are all hidden away, protecting themselves from the weather. All except the male elephant seal who is still harassing the gulls.

I thought I’d wrap up my final blog post with my favourite photos and moments from this trip. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Pinnipeds:

Cetaceans:

Ollie the Sea Otter: 

Birds:

Northern Lights:

Sunsets:

That’s all from me for now, but I’ll be back! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Sunday’s Update

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The wind is back with a vengeance! It’s only reached about 30 knots at its highest today which reading through some previous blog posts is nothing compared to what other Eco Guardians have experienced. I imagine a big storm would be a pretty wild experience here. Even with today’s gusts the house seems to shake and rattle.

Today was a relatively relaxing Sunday, although I’m not sure I ever fully relax here because there always seems to be something exciting happening out one of the many windows and I worry if I sit down that I may miss it.

My staring out a window paid off this morning as a couple of transient orca swam past the reserve. Of course with my usual luck, just as they seemed to be heading toward me they veered back out and swam off into the distance.

However I’m not complaining, no matter how many times I see whales I will always giddily sprint out of the house with my camera. But I do hope one of these days they’ll swing by the house as I’ve heard they often do!

There are still 4 female elephant seals here, 2 big and 2 small. The sea lions have been favouring the jetty more and more each day but are pretty quick to leave if I walk in that direction. There is one large California sea lion that is pretty resistant to being moved and has showed some aggressive behaviours toward me if I’m in his vicinity, but thankfully he seems to have found a new haul out site and has not been misbehaving the last couple of days . 

I have not yet come across any gull nests but they are definitely pairing off and can almost always been seen in twos. The geese have various nests around the island and the gulls have been quick to destroy any new eggs. They have a habit of dropping the broken eggs directly on the foot path outside my front door, sort of like a cat bringing home a dead mouse. I’m not sure which is worse. I may not have arrived to Race Rocks as a bird person but I am becoming more and more intrigued by them and their quirks, rituals, and different behaviours. 

Facility Work:
– Chopped wood and kindling
– Cleaned solar panels

Vessels:
– 2 Ecotourism

Weather:

  • Sky: Blue skies and sunny with clouds moving in late afternoon
  • Wind: Low of 7 knots, High of 19 knots with gusts up to 30 knots
  • Sea: Whitecaps, strong current within the reserve
  • Temperature: Low 11•C, High  22•C

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

Chaos and Creatures!

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Today was so action packed I’m not even sure where to begin!

I woke up just after sunrise as I knew today was going to be busy and I wanted to get a few tasks out of the way. At 6am it was already warm out with barely a breeze. The ocean was glassy as I cleaned the solar panels – which were yet again decorated by the birds.

Around 8:30am the first group of Pearson students were dropped off for their marine science exam which was taking place here at Race Rocks. By 9am we had 46 humans on the island which is a lot after not seeing anyone for a whole week. Today’s tide was one of the lowest I’ve seen since being here and its neat to see the rocks and small islands that are usually well below the surface.

Halfway through the exam we had a surprise visit from Coast Guard via helicopter to continue working on the fog horn. Thankfully all of the students were safely tucked away working on their exams down in the tide pools when it arrived. This time they had a smaller helicopter so they actually landed on the grass next to the tower rather than the helipad. Overall disturbance was limited aside from birds leaving the area (but immediately returning) and the minor panic exhibited by me. 

If that wasn’t excitement enough, we saw 3 passing transient killer whales shortly after! Once again, they were quite far in the distance but always nice to see. One of these days I’ll see them up close!

On return to the school, one of the boats found a deceased harbour porpoise floating on the surface. I reported this to DFO and the animal was collected and brought back to the college where it can be stored in a freezer until the DFO team and veterinary pathologist are able to perform a necropsy.

The afternoon slowed down once it was just me and the animals alone on site. Ollie was relaxing in the kelp beds, the sea lions were quiet, and the sun was toasty. I ventured down to the rocks behind the student house to soak up some sun when something shiny caught my eye. Partially sticking out in the dirt I picked up what originally looked like some sort of bivalve or calcified shell, almost something you’d expect to see on a tropical beach. Upon picking it up I realized how heavy it was and that it actually appeared to be man made, with grooves that seemed as though they would hold rope or line. My next guess was that it was a lead fishing weight of some sort or maybe a piece of similar equipment. I rinsed it off and sent some photos to colleagues to further inquire. One of the other Eco Guardians, Derek, helped me to ID it as an “open-end strain insulator” and it supports guy wires/cables by working under compression. Through a page on the Maine Historical Society website I was also able to learn that this porcelain egg like tool was made in 1900. How wild is that! I know this island holds more history than I’ll ever know, but never did I think I’d stumble across a little piece of it among the dirt and the goose poop. I’m going to have a read through some books here tonight and see if there are any photos or mention of it!

Wow, okay I think that is everything for today! Race Rocks will never cease to amaze me.

…I guess I spoke/posted too soon! Shortly after publishing this blog post I spotted a brown pelican circling the reserve and figured it deserved a mention! 

 

Additional info:

Ecotourism vessels: 10+ busiest day I’ve seen so far!

Weather:

  • Sky: Blue skies and sunny
  • Wind: High of 8 knots, Low of 2 knots
  • Sea: Glassy
  • Temperature: Low 8•C, High 22 •C

** 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! **