Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.0 șC »» Min. 10.0 șC »» Reset 11.1 șC »» Rain 0.4 mm
posted by at 10:19 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 15 Knots »» Sea Rippled To 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:27 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 14.9 șC »» 10.0 șC »» Reset 14.7 șC »» Rain 4.0 mm
posted by at 6:17 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Clouldy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 23 Knots »» Sea 3 Foot Moderate with Low South West Swell
posted by at 6:09 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.1 șC »» Min. 9.0 șC »» Reset 10.1 șC »» Rain 2.6 mm
posted by at 6:03 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind South East 10 Knots »» Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:27 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 16.1 șC »» Min 9.9 șC »» Reset 12.3 șC »» Rain 2.2 mm
posted by at 6:37 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 18 Knots »» Sea 2 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:27 AM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 23 Knots »» Sea 2 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:37 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 19.1 șC »» Min. 9.1 șC »» Reset 14.9 șC
THE DAY: Cloudy till 9:45 then Part Cloudy »» Vis 15 Miles »» Wind Light All Day »» Sea Rippled »» In all a great Day
MARINE LIFE: Mature bald eagle made one flight just after 6 this morning but was driven out by the gulls and all was quiet until a juvenile eagle arrived approx. 16:00. The gulls were quickly in the air and the young eagle gave up rather easily and headed off towards Bentinck Island.Just at suset a lone adult bald eagle flew low over the water by West Race but the gulls spotted the big bird and headed it off before reaching Gr. Race. It really is amazing how the gulls work together to chase pedators away. One of the large Elephant Seals spent several hours floating with his head just above the water near the east tip of Middle Rock.In the late afternoon there was a fair size fish ball near the kelp bed south of Gr. Race, the birds had a good feed.The sports fishers talking on the VHF radios are reporting a lot of bait fish so hope it's a good supply for the nesters and their young this year.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 9 ecotour boats and 3 pleasure craft through the reserve.The Hyaku was in this morning with Garry, Angus and guest to film the boats in the Victoria to Maui race, unfortunately no wind and in fact it was about 16:00 before the first boat reached Race Passage! The Hyaku did a couple of tours in the reserve this afternoon but did not come ashore.
posted by at 6:01 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind North East 5 Knots »» Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:27 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 14.3 șC »» Min. 9.7 șC »» Reset 12.1 șC
THE DAY: Cloudy »» Vis. 12 - 15 Miles »» Wind West 13 - 19 Knots »» Sea 1 - 2 Foot Chop
MARINE LIFE: Again today only one bald eagle which flew over just after 9 a.m., no birds were taken.The Eagle was gone by 9:30 so the resident bird population was fairly quiet until The Oyster Catchers did their evening flight, dipping and diving along the shoreline calling out with their distinctive high pitched cheeps.Often hear them at night especially when the moon is bright, it's a cheerful sound but wonder what they are up to in the dark.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 pleasure craft through the reserve today,also station boat to Pedder Bay and back.
posted by at 7:08 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 17 Knots »» Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:22 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.5 șC »» Min. 10.1 șC »» Reset 13.5 »» Rain tr.
THE DAY: Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind South 13 Knots till 12:30 then W 15 to 22 Knots »» Sea Rippled to 1 Foot Chop 13:00 2 to3 Foot Chop
MARINE LIFE: Lone mature bald eagle made several unsuccessful hunts over Gr. Race finally giving up and flying over towards Whirl Bay just after 15:00, the birds were unsettled for several hours.The goslings are growing fast and are about 3/4 the size of the adults with the most noticable increase in their wings which they 'exercise' frequently-I think I know where the expression 'silly as a goose' comes from- balance is everything!
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 23 eco tour boats, 7 pleasure craft,one college Zodiac and 1 dive boat in the reserve today, the station boat made a trip out to assist boater out of fuel! Station boat also made a trip to Pedder Bay and back.
posted by at 6:19 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind South 13 Knots »» Sea Rippled to 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:07 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.8 șC »» Min. 9.1 șC »» Reset 14.1 șC »» Rain 0.6 mm
THE DAY: Fog till 9:15 then clear »» Vis 1/4 mile till 9:15 then 10 Miles »» Wind West 27 G 33 Knots »» Sea 3 - 4 Foot Moderate
MARINE LIFE: With no eagles hunting the birds were fairly quiet all day.The wind was constant and cool - would really like to see a good rain as everything is so dry already and summer has just started.
HUMAN INTERACTION:1 Pleasure craft through the reserve and 1 dive charter boat along the north shore of Gr. Race
posted by at 6:54 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Obscured »» Vis 1/4 Mile Fog »» Wind West 27 Knots »» Sea 3 Foot Moderate »» Remarks Vis. North West to The East 5 Miles Fog
posted by at 5:21 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 18.0 șC »» Min. 9.9 șC »» Reset 13.3 șC
THE DAY: Clear »»Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind North West Light 15:35 West 27 Knots »» Sea Rippled 16:00 2' to 3 foot Chop
MARINE LIFE: Another good weather day! although the wind did pick up in the late afternoon. The Oyster Catchers are busy gathering food for the chicks some of which are as big as the adults but not very nimble just yet and do a lot more falling off rocks than hopping from one to another. The oldest chicks from the nest in the east bay area are starting to pick at snails etc. at the low tides but most of their success is mostly good luck - problem with attention span and anyway the mainstay of their diet is still being provided by the parents.Chicks beaks are still dark coloured at the tips and much paler orange on the rest so are easily distinguished from the adults.It takes a lot of energy to feed three chicks with both adults taking turns.When the tide is low the food is relatively close by but as the tide rises the adults have to fly farther to find chitons, mussels, snails and the like.Watched for 1 hour after the tide had covered the accessible food areas near the chicks and the adult was foraging several hundred metres away on the southeast rocks -in that hour the adult made 13 return trips -sometimes it took only 30-40 seconds to find food and return but often it took over a minute to come up with the appropriate food item.That's a lot of trips a day one limpet, snail,mussel, etc. at a time and also a lot of energy prying the aforesaid creatures off the rocks!
HUMAN INTERACTION: Second Nature out with group for tour and dropped Ryan off to relieve while we did some errands in town.Ryan reported that a group in a rental boat breached the guildlines by landing 2 people on middle rock and they were harassing the elephant seals that were hauled out. There is a policy of no landing on the islands except by obtaining a permit from B.C. Parks - fortunately most people would not think of disturbing the marine animals like this but there is always 1( in this case 2) in every crowd!!
posted by at 7:42 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind North West 4 Knots »» Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:19 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 18.3 șC »» Min. 8.7 șC »» Reset 13.1 șC
THE DAY: Clear »» Vis. 15 miles »» Wind Light all Day »» Sea Rippled and Even at Times Smooth
MARINE LIFE: One of those rare days with little wind,everyone just soaking up the warmth.The goose 'family' took a sea trip around Gr. Race and are quite strong swimmers now.The young ones did sleep for about 11/2 hours under the front porch when they came ashore. 2 barn swallows flew around the island this morning but as in past years, just a visit. About 4 years ago we had one pair build a nest on the downspout but after a couple of nights in a 25 knt. westerly they had second thoughts about their choice of real estate and left. A few swallows visit every year, usually earlier in the spring -it's strange to me why they would fly way out here.Still hearing what sounds like large elephant seals snorting just off the dock at night, they do feed at night, but no sightings during the day.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 4 pleasure craft, 2 ecotour boats and 1 inflatable Coast Guard boat( 5 persons aboard wearing blue hard hats,) that circled Gr. Race - Since the C.G. vessel 'Vector' was in the area I think they may have been working from it.
posted by at 6:37 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 11 Knots »» Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:08 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.0 șC »» Min. 9.1 șC »» Reset 11.7
THE DAY: Part Cloudy »» Vis 12 @ 6:30 15 Miles »» Wind West 15 Gust 21 Knots »» Sea 2 to 3 Foot Chop All Day
MARINE LIFE: One mature Bald Eagle spent most of the day on North Rocks and made two tries to hunt over Gr. Race but was driven off each time.The gulls and oyster catchers are on the alert at all times especially the past week or so.Most gulls have nests now and soon we should see eggs hatching from the early nesters. Don't like to disturb them as they are so nervous from the eagles and in the wind the eggs can cool very quickly.There are still 4 Northern Sealions on the southeast rocks, one was swiming in the east bay area with about 30 harbour seals which had been hauled out on the rocks until the rising tide washed them off.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Chris and Ryan in with Second Nature - 5 trips with diesel fuel. 2 pleasure craft through the reserve.
posted by at 6:05 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy »» Vis. 12 Miles »» Wind 21 Knots »» Sea 2 to 3 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:33 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.5 șC »» Min. 9.5 șC »» Reset 12.5 șC »» Rain 0.8 mm
THE DAY: Part Cloudy »» Vis 15 miles »» Wind West 15 Till 9:00 then 20 Gusting 33 Knots »» Sea 1 - 2 Foot Chop until 10:15 Then 3 to 5 Foot Moderate
MARINE LIFE: The birds continue to sit on nests and when alerted take to the air to ward off the one mature Bald Eagle that made several unsuccessful hunting flights over Gr. Race. The Eagle left the area just after noon,then again just after sunset a lone mature eagle made one last flight along the shoreline before heading across Race Passage towards Bentinck Island.3 young Northern Sealions hauled out on the southwestern slope of the southeast rocks along with approx. 13 Harbour seals.Counted 7 small to medium size elephant seals on middle rock,did hear loud bellows and snorting near the dock last night that could be the larger bull elephant seals but have not seen them hauled out for a few days.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Chris and Ryan delivered 2 loads of diesel fuel with the Second Nature in the morning and 1 tour boat was through the reserve today.
posted by at 6:06 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 17 Knots »» Sea 1 - 2 Foot Chop
posted by at 6:03 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.1 șC »» Min. 9.3 șC »» Reset 13.2 șC »» Rain 2.8 mm
THE DAY: Overcast »» Vis 15 Miles »» Winds Light South West »» Sea Rippled »» Rain Showers through-out the Day.
MARINE LIFE: Most of the Gulls are incubating eggs now although there are the 'late bloomers' still gathering nesting material and engaging in the usual turf wars. The 5 goslings are looking more like geese every day,all have the distinctive tail markings but their wings are still very small their down is rapidly giving way to feathers.With the Eagles hunting every day, I'm surprised all the chicks have survived. Three gulls were not so lucky,the first one was taken by a juvenile Bald Eagle just after 11:00 in front of the Science centre. Two mature Eagles hunted the area most of the afternoon and had successful kills at 13:55 and 16:20.The highlight of the day -- a group of 12-15 Orca came through the reserve, five of them were in the kelp just off the end of the dock.One orca looked to be a fairly small calf traveling close to 4 or 5 larger animals. We knew they were headed this way from the west by the 'chatter' on the VHF radios about 10:30.The whales were 'accompanied' by a flotilla of 17-23 tour boats until they were too far east to see with the telescope -7 hours at least. As the orcas approached the MPA one of the boat operators reminded the other boats about not following the whales through the reserve as per the guidelines. No one did, however the Flotilla was waiting on the other side of Gr. Race! The whales put on a great show, breaching, spy hopping, and rolling in the kelp just off the east shore.They spent about 40 minutes in the reserve.

HUMAN INTERACTION: Chris in with Second Nature this morning to pick up tank for fueling tomorrow, also Ryan returned to civilization? in the zodiac- strange to see no lights in the science centre -just the two of us again! 2 pleasure craft and 17 tour boats through the reserve today.
posted by at 6:34 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind South East 5 Knots »» Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:17 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.1 șC »» Min. 9.0 șC »» Reset 14.0 șC »» The Day: Part Cloudy »» Wind West 20 - 30 Knots »» Sea 2 foot chop.
posted by at 6:03 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 23 Knots »» Sea 2 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:15 AM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis 12 Miles »» Wind South West 12 Knots »» Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:23 AM

Good Morning:
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 8 miles »» Wind 30-35 Knots from West »» Sea 3-5 Foot Moderate
posted by at 5:21 AM

Good Evening:
TEMPERATURE Max 20.8șC »» Min 11.1șC »» Reset 19.2șC
MARINE LIFE: The harbour seals are becoming very nervous of human presence, several times today they swept into the water at the sight of people on the pathways. The 4 pairs of Oystercatchers all have chicks now, a good sign that perhaps the river Otter has left the island. Two octopus were sighted in the low intertidal over near the surge channel this morning.

HUMAN IMPACT: Five eco-tourism vessels through the reserve and five fishing vessels on the reserve's perimeter. Garry and Hyaku docked with two visitors this morning, Sean LeRoy, Graduate Researcher, Georgia Basin Futures Project
Sustainable Development Research Institute, University of British Columbia and Dr.James Tansey also of UBC. They came to participate in the webcast with Garry and Ryan on Marine Protected Areas this morning with Tim Langois, Leigh Marine Laboratory University of Auckland, and Anne Saloman, University of Washington, Zoology Department . After a tour of the Island and a great discussion about MPA's in Canada and New Zealand they all left in the afternoon.
posted by at 10:49 PM

Good Morning:
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 8 miles »» Wind 0-5 Knots from West »» Sea 1-2 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:03 AM

Good Evening:
TEMPERATURE Max 19.5șC »» Min 7.8șC »» Reset 19.5șC
MARINE LIFE: Some large sea anemones spotted in the low intertidal today, many covered with shell grit as a protective layer from the heat. One Bald eagle sighting this morning, however none this evening. The Geese and Goslings were drinking from the freshwater pond frequently today, a sign of the hotter weather, however raising concerns about the eventual limits of the water supply.

HUMAN IMPACT: Hyaku docked with Garry and five students and their teacher from Bayside Middle School at low tide today. They participated in our live webcast as we showed them the special features of the island's ecosystems. We have been particularly careful to provide a low-impact program so that the seabirds and seals are not disturbed. Zodiac left during the late evening. 6 ecotourism and three fishings boats through the reserve today. Michael Kiprop returned to Metchosin today to catch his flight home to Kenya tomorrow. We have appreciated his daily commitment to the technical aspects of our live mobile webcasts.
posted by at 11:20 PM

Good Morning:
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 6 miles »» Wind 0-5 Knots from West »» Sea 1-2 foot chop
posted by at 6:13 AM

Good Evening:
TEMPERATURE Max 15.3șC »» Min 9.2șC »» Reset 9.2șC
MARINE LIFE: A fairly quiet day on the island, perhaps due to the heavy fog which came several times. Two Bald Eagle visits this morning, however none this afternoon. A very low tide revealed some sun bleaching on the surf grass in the low intertidal. The Goslings are quite large now, perhaps double their size of last week. It is a shame to note that we saw no Sea lions today, they have not been present since the DND blasting a few days ago.

HUMAN IMPACT: 7-8 ecotourism vessels today, despite the fog. Second Nature emerged from the fog to dock with Garry and another group of 4 school children from Westmont School, again for the 10:00 AM live webcast. Garry noted that he had never seen the fog as heavy as this morning. Within a half hour it lifted. Zodiac was taken out twice in the afternoon. The divers went in around the docks at 18:30.
posted by at 11:17 PM

Good Morning:
WEATHER: Sky Overcast »» Vis. 8 miles »» Wind 20 - 25 Knots from West »» Sea 2-3 Foot Chop
posted by at 4:33 AM

Good Evening: TEMPERATURE Max 14.0șC »» Min 9.8șC »» Reset 13.0șC
MARINE LIFE: Two fly overs by a Bald Eagle today, however no birds taken. The Goslings went for a swin with their parents this morning, however only staying in the shallow waters. Several harbour seals moving about the docks this morning, probably hunting.

HUMAN IMPACT: Hyaklu and Second Nature both docked today. 6 ecotourism vessels and two fishing vessels moved through the reserve. Garry brought out a group of 4 students and a parent from West -Mont school today for the live webcast. They toured the island and the intertidal near the docks.
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 6 miles »» Wind 25-30 Knots from West »» Sea 2-3 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:03 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: A beautiful day, Max. 14.2șC »» Min. 9șC »» 11.5șC
MARINE LIFE: Today's animal pace was quite busy. Some of the Gulls are still collecting for their nests, while others are already incubating 2 or 3 eggs. The goslings are becoming very independent, frequenting the waters with their parents and exploring the little mysteries of Race Rocks. Some fly-overs by the resident Bald Eagle this morning, however it didn't stay very long. A pod of 6 to 8 Orcas moved towards Victoria late this afternoon, one pair had a calf with them. The Sea Lion that has frequented the docks for the last couple of days did not return today, perhaps a sign of improving health.
HUMAN IMPACT: A total of 12 ecotourism vessels in and around the reserve today. Three fishing vessels on the reserves boarder for several hours. A group of canoes and kayaks paddled around the island today, unfortunately disregarding the 100m restrictions about approaching the seals. The group's close proximity scared the seals into the water. We often have problems with kayakers. They think they are being so environmentally responsible but in this reserve they scare more marine mammals into the water than many other user groups. At approximately 10am a Victoria Coast Guard Auxillary boat, ( rigid hull inflatable, similar to the whale watchers vessels, sped straight through the reserve at excessive speed. They came within 20m. of the divers off the docks, the two groups of divers complaining of wake, despite a dive flag being in place and the no wake policy within the MPA.
posted by at 8:52 PM

Good Morning:
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 8 miles »» Wind 8 Knots from West »» Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:43 AM

TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.7șC »» Min. 8 șC »» Reset 11.5 șC
MARINE LIFE: The Gulls have had a calm day with no visits by bald eagles. One Sea lion appeared on the boat ramp this afternoon. The divers observed a new species of Nudibranch at around 10m.
HUMAN IMPACT: The divers finished the repairs to the conduit in the afternoon. Three ecotourist boats were spotted in the reserve and one pleasure craft was spotted speeding right through the reserve.
posted by at 10:48 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Partly Cloudy »» Vis. 8miles »» Wind From West 15knots »» Sea 1 foot chop
posted by at 5:39 AM

TEMPERATURE: Max. 11.8 șC »» Min. 7.4 șC »» Reset 9.8
MARINE LIFE: Some interesting bird life today. What we believe was an Arctic Tern hovered for a few minutes over the Gull colony late this afternoon. We also spotted a pair of Cormorants (probably Pelagic) on the cliff behind the heli-pad, perhaps the pair are checking out what used to be a common nesting site. The Gulls were frightened during the four visits by the Bald Eagles today, however some of the nesting pairs with two or more eggs refused to lift off from their nests. Indeed the eagles were quite a harrassment early morning, with two landing within the middle of the nesting sites, only 15m from the house. One Sea Lion appeared on the boat ramp this morning, perhaps with some sort of eye problem.
HUMAN IMPACT: Hyaku and Second Nature docked early this morning, spending nearly two hours docked. The divers made some underwater repairs to the conduit, just off the docks. No eco-tourism or other boat activity within the reserve.
posted by at 11:02 PM

WEATHER UPDATE: Large Storm Front Moving North West South of Race Rocks
posted by at 10:11 AM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Partly Cloudy »» Vis. 12miles »» Wind West 15knots »» Sea 2-3 foot chop
posted by at 5:13 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 12.0 șC »» Min. 11.0 șC »» Reset 11.0
MARINE LIFE: Early this morning one Bald Eagle flew around the Gulls nests, spending around 10 minutes looking for prey, despite the constant harassment by the Gulls. The eagle flew of to the west, and was out of site. Perhaps an hour later two Bald Eagles were spotted hunting together, they brought down a Glacous-winged Gull and one eagle was seen carrying a Gull wing away. There was also other interesting bird action mid-morning. A Turkey Vulture was flying about in the strong wings, attempting to find food. The winds were a challenge for the vulture, with the bird struggling in the gusts. It was particularly noteworthy that the Black Oyster Catchers made a great effort to harass the vulture. This was caught on video just before the divers entered the water and can be seen at http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/archives/vidbenmovie.htm The divers reported an abundance of sperm and eggs in the nutrient rich water off the docks.

HUMAN IMPACT: No whale watching activity within the reserve today. Indeed the strongs winds, 25-35 knots, kept most vessels away. Hyaku docked twice, bringing equipment and materials for the web-cast and conduit repairs. One major disturbance was the Defence Forces Blasting on Bentinck Island which clearly frightened the Sea lions into the water, Around 10 of the 12 Sea lions disapeared within the first two blasts, approximately 10:30am, and have not yet returned. (Note: As of June 18- they have not retruned- will not be back until August now. ) .The three blasts with only a few minutes spacing sent shock waves that rattled the house and were not at all pleasant.
posted by at 9:45 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Partly Cloudy »» Vis. 12miles »» Wind West 25-30knots »» Sea 2-3 foot chop and rising
posted by at 6:42 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 12.4 șC »» Min. 9.8 șC »» Reset 11.1
MARINE LIFE: We have been gifted over the last few days with many Orca visits. Again, early this morning, a large pod of 9 or 10 Orcas moved past south Race Rocks. It was nice to see them without the whale watching boats for once, the whales look even more beautiful in the straights without an entourage of power boats. We have sited several Gull eggs over the last couple of days, hopefullly we get some chics soon. The Bald Eagle was back again this afternoon, sending the Gulls up in a cloud of wings and defening skwaks. It appears that the eagle only attempts to make a surprise kill and if unsucessful leaves the harrassement of the other birds quickly.
Human Impact: The whale watching boats appeared quickly after the Orca sitings, probably from radio information of their presence. There was a total of 12 whale watching boats today, the majority arriving between 9am-11am. One fishing vessel was filmed during our live web cast speeding well within the reserve. The name and number of the boat was taken for further action. Second Nature was docked from 9am-Midday, it provided support for the live webcast to World Wildlife Fund Canada. The divers again entered the water around the docks, spending just over half an hour in the water.
posted by at 9:39 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast »» Vis. 12miles »» Wind South East 5knots »» Sea 1 foot chop
posted by at 5:19 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.1 șC »» Min. 9.5 șC »» Reset 11.7
MARINE LIFE: Two Bald Eagle encounters today, one early this morning and one late this evening. The Gulls are very wary of any such danger to their nests and eggs. It appears we have a Gull nest on the roof of the science centre, the pair appear to be bringing material up to the old chimney, a most unorthodox place. The Crows have taken some more eggs, with a few cracked shells found about the place.
HUMAN IMPACT: Only one eco-tourist boat appeared today and no fishing vessels. The early morning fog that reduced visibility to less than a quarter of mile probably kept the tour boats away. Arriving at 9:30 in Second Nature, a small group of adults attending the week-long course going on at Pearson College (West Coast Adventure for Women) and their instructor Catrin Brown and Garry joined us for our morning webcast. The group stayed to the paths and respected the birds nesting areas.
Zodiac left and returned with supplies just after midday.
posted by at 9:12 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis. 5 Miles »» Wind South West 5 Knots »» Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:42 AM

Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 12.0 șC »» Min. 8.8 șC »» Reset 11.0
MARINE LIFE: Some fabulous marine events today, despite an early fog that reduced visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. A large pod of Orcas passed straight through the reserve late this afternoon, perhaps 6 in total. The whales seemed to be on the hunt however no Seals or Sea lions were taken. A Bald Eagle was also seen flying across west Race this afternoon, taking either a Oystercatcher, Crow or Pigeon Guillemot with it.
HUMAN IMPACT: A total of twelve eco-tourism boats were about the reserve today, most adhering to the resereve guidlines. However, one boat in particular was wthin the reserve directly following the Orcas. Despite an agreement to stay out of the reserve when whales are present in order to allow the whales some space. Hyaku and Zodiac also docked bringing equipment and supplies.
posted by at 10:22 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis 8 Miles »» Wind West 15 Knots »» Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 7:25 AM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind West 15 Knots»» Sea 1 Foot Chop
Good Evening TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.5șC »» Min. 8.5șC »» Reset 12.0
MARINE LIFE: We were treated to a brilliant spectacle today with a pod of 5 Orcas spotted about 1-2km south of Race Rocks. The Sea lions were either unconcerned or unaware of their presence. The Divers found a large bed of sea anemones, urchins and coral while diving amongst the Bull Kelp in front of the docks. The Oystercatchers were quite agressively chasing the Crows away from their nests in what looked like an aerial dogfight.
HUMAN ACTIVITY: Again, we had fishermen within the reserve, using lures just off West Race. They moved off only after a repeated radio announcement notifying their breach of MPA regulations. The Orcas brought out a large number of eco-tourism boats, 10 moved throughout the reserve during the day. 5 recreational boats also cruised through the park, often not adhering to the no wake rule through Race Passage
posted by at 5:41 AM

Good Morning WEATHER: Sky Cloudy »» Vis. 12 Miles »» Wind West 11 Knots »» Rippled
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.0 șC »» Min. 8.1 șC »» Reset 10.0
MARINE LIFE: Another beautiful day here, with quite a lot of marine activity. The Glaucous Winged Gulls are actively mating and nesting, being very defensive of their nests. Crows are harrassing the Gulls, Oystercatchers and and Pigeon Guillemots, in search of an unattended nest and egg. One of the pairs of Canadian Geese on the Isalnd are nursing their five young Gosslings, despite the Gosslings rapidly increasing size the Geese continue to be very protective of their youngsters. Divers spotted some large Ling Cod** around the docks, along with a healthy stock of smaller fish.
HUMAN INTERACTION: A lot of fishing activity around the reserve today, around 10 to 12 vesels on the reserve boarder actively fishing. Problems with both vessels motoring too quickly through the reserve and fishermen disregarding the reserve limitations and fishing around West Race rocks. Four eco-tourism vessels moved through the park today.
**Good news for the Ling Cod!! This note was just received from the Sierra Club:
June 1, 2002 Victoria, BC: Despite intense pressure from sports-fishery lobbyists, local Fisheries and Oceans managers have decided that this year's recreational fishery for lingcod in the Strait of Georgia will not go ahead today as scheduled. In an unprecedented, last-minute move, regional Fisheries and Oceans officials decided late Friday to issue a variation order to the B.C. tidal waters recreational fishery regulations, to prevent the recreational fishery for lingcod from proceeding. In an unprecedented, last-minute move, regional Fisheries and Oceans officials decided late Friday to issue a variation order to the B.C. tidal waters recreational fishery regulations, to prevent the recreational fishery for lingcod from proceeding. The lingcod season, which would have run from today to September 30, would have allowed anglers a daily bag limit of one lingcod, a possession limit of two, and an annual limit of 10.
The commercial harvest of Strait of Georgia lingcod was banned in 1990, after commercial landings had steadily declined to 44 tonnes after a peak catch of 3,300 tonnes in the 1930s. Fisheries and Oceans scientists estimate that only five per cent of the 1950s-era lingcod biomass is left in the Strait of Georgia. Against the advice of federal fisheries scientists, the recreational lingcod fishery was allowed to continue, however, and by 2001 the sports catch was believed to result in an annual harvest of at least 30 tonnes. Friday's decision to suspend the fishery will prohibit recreational lingcod fishing throughout Johnstone Strait, the entire Strait of Georgia area, and most of Juan de Fuca Strait.
"We believe that the vast majority of anglers will support this decision," said Terry Glavin, fisheries adviser to the Sierra Club. "While we are encouraged by reports that there may be localized revivals in lingcod stocks, a full closure is the only hope that these precious fish will gain the time they need to recover to their former abundance."

posted by at 5:49 AM