The Calm Before the Wind

The barometer dropped rapidly all day from 1027 hPa to 1015 hPa. The wind was between 5 to 10 knots coming from the northeast and then switching to the southwest. There was light fog in the mid afternoon, reducing visibility to 5 nautical miles (about 9 km). The next few days are forecasted to be quite windy, with a gale warning in effect.

There were two fishing boats and two whale watching boats seen passing through the reserve.

Three bald eagles (one adult and two juveniles) caused a lot of commotion with the gulls this morning. Each time the eagles fly by, the gulls scatter in all directions. They do this for good reason, as one of the eagles killed a gull near the jetty. Afterwards, a juvenile gull was eating the remains of the killed gull. Apparently gulls will eat anything.

I left the Race Rocks for a few hours in the early afternoon to pick up food and gas. My first time launching the boat down the ramp was going well until a large male elephant seal decided to move itself onto the ramp, overtop of the winch cable. After a few minutes of barking and sputtering at me, it slid off the ramp and into the water, allowing me to continue lowering the boat.

On the way back from Pedder Bay, I passed by a group of approximately 60 pigeon guillemots floating and feeding just east of North Rocks.

A new exhaust fan was installed in the generator room to help cool down the inverters and other equipment.

Two juvenile bald eagles, one in the air and the other perched on the South Islands.

Two juvenile bald eagles, one in the air and the other perched on the South Islands.

An adult and juvenile bald eagles perch looking  northeast, on the South Islands.

An adult and juvenile bald eagle perch looking northeast, on the South Islands.

This juvenile gull was eating the carcass of another gull that had been killed recently by a bald eagle.

This juvenile gull was eating the carcass of another gull that had been killed recently by a bald eagle.

A large male elephant seal lay on the winch cable for a few minutes, pausing  the boat being lowered into the water.

A large male elephant seal lay on the winch cable for a few minutes, pausing the boat being lowered into the water.