Friday morning the wind was blowing 25 NMPH NE and picked up throughout the day gusting to 40 NMPH in the evening with waves >5ft breaking on the jetty.  The wind brought cold weather from the interior with temperatures below 0 deg C.  A cold weather notice was issued by the Metchosin Fire Chief warning of windchill over night reaching below -15 deg C.  This morning temperature was -2.6 deg C, sunny, and winds had dropped by noon.  Sea water temp has fallen to 7.4 deg C today.

I ran heating coils on the lines out of the freshwater tank and into the main house. Kept a heater on low in the desalinator building overnight and shut off water to assist house and drained pipes.  No freeze up problems detected so far.

There was 1 dive boat and 1 ecotour boat in the reserve this afternoon.

Census yesterday (dec 6) at 11:00 from the tower:

47 California sea lions (2 sealions with plastic hoops lodged around their necks)
174 Stellar sea lions
2 harbour seals
5 elephant seals (on W rock, 1 male)
1 river otter
280 gulls
383 cormorants
2 Canada geese
1 raven
3 Eagles
1 Sparrow