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| The following marine mammals each have separate pages for pictures and information. See the taxonomy files linked. |
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CALIFORNIA SEA LION
(Zalophus californianus) California Sea Lions near the Docks |
 Strange behaviour of a Red Tail Hawk which died after landing in front of a sea lion. |
Photo by Arthur Radtke |
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The California Sea Lions come back in large numbers from the outer coast as of the end of August. By the end of September they often number over 1000 animals. This pattern has been repeated almost every year. See Camera 3 for close ups at this time. See the robotic camera to scan the middle rocks and West Race Rocks where most of them haul out regularly. |
 In September 1999, this sealion, with a plastic hoop around his neck, was photographed from the docks at Race Rocks by MPA Guardian Carol Slater. |
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Sea Lion Taxonomy File |
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ELEPHANT SEAL
(Mirounga angustirostris)
 Throughout the winter of 1997, two female elephant seals stayed just south of the tower on Great Race Rock. In February, these four females and at times three others hauled out on the middle island, north of Great Race Rock. In 2001, two and sometimes three large males were on the island along with three or four females. They occupied this position on the middle island through the summer and into the fall of 2001 and did the same in 2002 and 2003.
 Photo by Arthur Radtke
 Photo by Jane Johnston
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In 2001, two large males were on the middle island from February thorough to June. They were often accompanied by three or four smaller females. One male stayed on into September.
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| MOULTING ELEPHANT SEALS-BEWARE:
Elephant seals will also haul out on the sand beaches in the Victoria Area, within a few kilometers of Race Rocks. They do this during the juvenile moult, at which time they look very emaciated, and ill. After a month of lying on the beach, flipping up sand to keep away insects, while their skin peels off, they start to look healthy again and then move offshore to rejoin a colony. In 1995 and 1996 there was an influx of moulting juveniles on the local beaches. One such elephant seal on Taylor beach in Metchosin was reported to the local SPCA as being very sick. In their ignorance, the SPCA obtained the services of a fisheries officer who was not familiar with the behavior of these animals to shoot the animal. Local residents who had watched the animal for the previous month while it was undergoing the moult were outraged! They had studied it daily and had noted the gradual change from blotchy, peeling skin with open sores to a new coat Such needless destruction can be avoided if people will just leave these creatures alone. Somehow humans have this uncontrollable urge to "fix" things rather than letting natural systems operate on their own.
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 The elephant seals usually occupy the highest part of the island while the other sea lions were interspersed around them. We have had up to 10 female elephant seals here at once and since the summer of 1999, 2 and often 3 males have been observed on the Middle island. |
| See the Elephant Sea Taxonomy File |
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RIVER OTTER
(Lutra canadensis) |
For many years a family of river otters have lived under the buildings and pathways at Race Rocks, and in a pile of rocks produced when the Coast Guard blasted the island to build the helicopter pad in the late 1970's. In a period of two weeks in July, 1998 the otter family systematically wiped out all the nests of black oystercatchers and the seagulls. They were even seen to be after the nests of the pigeon guillemots, as they were observed pulling away rocks from the entrance area to the guillemot nests. This was a real tragedy for the island, and one that was probably assisted by the availability of human-made habitat for the otters. It is unlikely that they would be so successful on such an exposed island, as most natural river otter habitat in this area is in small inlets and bays. A policy of elimination of what is the " human-provided habitat" is being carried out now at Race Rocks. Holes under buildings are being sealed . Where normally 150 gull chicks would be raised at Race Rocks, not one survived this predation. It is not known whether any of the guillemots survived. Two partly eaten carcasses of adult black Oystercatchers were also found near their nests and all the young had disappeared. By the 2003 nesting season the otters had left. There was a successful hatch in that year and in 2004. We hope that the river otters stay over in the Pedder bay Area from now on. |
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Video of Northern sea lions below the tower.
June 13;)
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Radio tracking Devices on Sea Lions
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Harbour Seal underwater at West Race Rocks
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Marine Mammal references IN THE RACE ROCKS ECOLOGICAL OVERVIEW, 1999
