West Seattle Blog…

West Seattle Whale Watch: Return of the orcas!

4:29 PM: First we got a tweet about orcas off Alki Point – now we’re told they’re off Lowman Beach and there’s a TV chopper over them. Let us know if you see them! (The rain’s moving back in, which presents a visibility challenge …)

5:49 PM: We spent some time south of Brace Point hoping they’d come by. No luck. Bill e-mailed from the Lincoln Park shoreline an hour or so ago that they appeared to be heading further offshore.

West Seattle wildlife: Mystery of ‘sea lion with a number’ solved

A week and a half ago, we published that photo taken by Tom Foley while out on the Duwamish River. We thought it was a Steller sea lion; turns out it’s a California sea lion – and known to researchers. LG saw Tom’s photo here and sent the information to NOAA, which she says “got excited about it, and e-mails were quickly sent around between people at NOAA and the Alaska Fish and Game Department’s Steller Sea Lion program trying to identify the animal. Apparently Alaska Fish and Game has an extensive photo database specifically for identifying branded sea lions.” She then received e-mail from NOAA’s Sharon Melin, who told her it was OK for us to publish the e-mail, which follows:

Thank you for reporting the sighting of the California sea lion #8727. He was branded as a 4 month old pup in September 2006 at San Miguel Island, California. At the time, he weighed 23.0 kg and was large for his age. He has been seen regularly in Washington during the winters and at San Miguel Island during the summer breeding season but still is too young and small to be breeding.

San Miguel Island is the northern limit of the California sea lion breeding range and is the westernmost island in the Channel Islands chain off the coast of California. Each year, a population of about 100,000 California sea lions returns to the island to breed and pup. Pups are born in late May and June and are usually weaned in March or April of the following year. Each year we tag and brand 500 pups out of about 23,000 born and conduct long-term observation studies throughout the lives of tagged individuals.

The tagging program for seals and sea lions on San Miguel Island was initiated in 1975. We have had tag recoveries from as far south as Pta Colnette (Punta Colonet), Mexico and as far north as Southeast Alaska. The tagging program provides information for long-term studies on migration, movements, survival, reproductive success, and annual cycles of individual animals. Studies such as these help us to effectively monitor marine mammal populations.

Tag returns are an extremely important part of our studies and they provide valuable information required to understand the biology and status of marine mammal populations. Thank you for taking time to participate in our research effort.

Here’s a map showing San Miguel Island, which is off Santa Barbara, California – more than 1,000 miles away!

West Seattle wildlife: ‘Common’ yet uncommon bird sighting

Shared by Alki photographer David Hutchinson, who says, “My wife and I came across this Common Loon in Elliott Bay while walking near Salty’s this evening.” (The bird may be deemed “common” by name, but its beauty is anything but!)

West Seattle wildlife: The sea lion with a number

(Click image to see it in a larger size)
Sharing that photo (and others) taken during a Puget Soundkeeper trip along the Duwamish River, West Seattle volunteer Tom Foley wondered, “Does anyone out there know who might have numbered the animal and if they would like to know it has shown up here in Elliott Bay?” A bit of online research reveals Steller sea lions – the species we believe this to be – have been widely branded along the North Pacific so that sightings can be tracked; Stellers are on the endangered-species list. Can’t tell from this number, though, who might have placed it there…

West Seattle beauty: Sights above and beneath the sea

Before we get going all-out with a brand-new day – and Tax Day, at that! – take a moment for two seagoing West Seattle sights shared by WSB’ers. First, John Hinkey‘s view of the Monday night sunset. Next, the latest undersea video from diver/photographer Laura James – who lets her camera linger on market-squid eggs on the seafloor near Seacrest:

The eggs take just past two months to hatch, according to this squid-info page. (Yes, same squid that appears on menus as calamari.)

It takes a village … to rescue a West Seattle wildlife raft

(August 2010 photo by Guy Smith)
Another chapter to share in the ongoing saga of Alki’s Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft, first launched in 2008, first mentioned here when we heard from Joy’s husband Guy Smith in 2009, and the subject of some memorable stories since then. Today, Guy shared another one:

Joy’s raft is in dry dock again after an underwater line broke. That’s nothing new, but the way the raft was rescued is quite a story.

We discovered it had broken loose in the late afternoon on Thursday the 12th and located it drifting along about halfway to Duwamish Head. There wasn’t enough daylight left to get a boat and pull it home, so we crossed our fingers and went to dinner with friends. They volunteered to look for it the next day in their boat, but when we got back home at dusk we couldn’t believe our eyes. The raft was tied to a buoy about halfway between the point and the Alki Promenade. How could this have happened?

As near as we can tell, from listening to all the neighbors’ stories and a little guesswork, the raft and buoy were drifting toward Alki Point at about 7:30 pm, on the strong incoming tide when a neighbor, Zack Singer, jumped into his kayak and set out to rescue it. Zack said he was spurred to action when he, Judy, and Linda were sipping cool ones on the patio and Judy said something like “we can’t let that raft get away; we like watching it too much.”

Zack hooked up to the raft and buoy, but the current was too strong and he found himself being pulled south around the point. Luckily, Jack Miller was heading north in his big boat, the “Baltic Sea,” and responded to Zack’s hail.

(Photo by Kyle Udo, added Tuesday morning, courtesy Kyle’s dad Pat Hogan)
Jack hooked up to what he laughingly described as “a pretty unusual sight” and pulled the whole thing around the Point to the first buoy they came to; one of only 3 left on this stretch of beach where a dozen used to be. Zack said it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride; because when Jack took off, the kayak was being pulled backward. Afraid it would flip, he whipped out his knife and cut the kayak loose (instincts from working on tug boats), nicking his finger in the process.

At the new buoy, rope was needed; so Zack paddled to the beach and borrowed a length from Duff Kennedy’s seemingly endless supply. Jack donated a throw-ring float from the Baltic Sea to keep the lines from sinking and tangling. All this action was watched by neighbors on the beach as they shouted encouragement and advice (happy hour was running late that day).

On Saturday, Jerett Kaplan donated his rowboat for retrieving the raft; and it now sits in dry dock, awaiting new parts and a call to the diver. It’s been a nice marine refuge and people along the beach like to watch the birds and seals. Penny Earnest is a Seal Sitter volunteer and sends in daily seal counts. Thanks go to other neighbors who keep watch on the raft and who helped fill in details – Bette Callan, the Hogans, the Warrens, and others; even the unknown owner of the buoy where the raft was temporarily tied. The biggest thanks go to Zack and Jack for their timely action.

Sharon Kennedy related that on Friday, she had watched a mother seal and her pup circle the spot where the raft normally floats; circling for quite a while before they gave up and left. She laughed when she told that she had almost started yelling and pointing to the new location.

West Seattle shores: Low tide, lots of brant, more whale-watching

Another orca-sighting alert (via Elissa, on the WSB Facebook wall) sent us down to Beach Drive to take a look – but this was the only black-and-white-marked wildlife group we spotted – the beautiful brant who come here to eat eelgrass. (Here’s what Alki resident Guy Smith wrote about them for WSB in fall 2009. Note – brant are easily spooked, so if you see them, shhh!) The whale tips came from multiple sources; though we never saw them, that’s par for our course, but others including Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales, plus two city Park Rangers, had better luck. And Orca Network‘s Facebook page says two pods may be in the Sound today. Meantime, the lowest tide of the month (-2.3 feet) is bottoming out right about now; if you have the chance to tidewalk tomorrow, it’ll be almost this low (-2.1 feet) at 2:23 pm – here’s the chart.

West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas heading this way

2:20 PM: Got a call about southbound orcas that – if they don’t change their direction – might soon be visible off Alki Point. We’re heading off to look; let us know if you see them.

3:59 PM UPDATE: We didn’t have any luck ourselves (as usual) – but maybe we were too early, as they are still out there, according to those discussing it on the WSB Facebook page.

Satellite-tracked seal pup Sandy found dead, tangled in line

(January 2012 photo by Robin Lindsey)
Just in from Robin Lindsey of West Seattle-based Seal Sitters:

I am so sad to report that West Seattle’s rehabbed seal pup “Satellite” Sandy was found dead yesterday, entangled in fishing line near the Edmonds fishing pier.

This just serves to remind us of the many dangers that seal pups and other marine mammals face with fishing line, lures and nets. Pups are attracted to fishing piers and docks because those structures create a climate where tiny fish thrive – the very fish that make up a good portion of a seal pup’s diet. When fishermen dump bait at boat launches and fishing piers it only compounds the dangers for pups – and frustrations of fishermen when pups and adults steal bait from their lures. With discarded lines and lures abundant around popular fishing spots (such as Colman Pool at Lincoln Park), we can all help by picking up any debris on the beaches and in the water. The waters of Washington are littered with derelict fishing gear and nets and it is estimated a minimum of 50,000 animals die yearly.

Had Sandy not been fitted with the id and satellite tags, her death would most likely never have been reported. We are encouraging divers to document any animals they find entangled in fishing gear – do NOT try to remove the animal or the gear itself. Dead or alive, it is against Federal law to touch a marine mammal without authorization. Additionally, removing net and fishing gear is extremely dangerous. Please e-mail photos and lat/long to Seal Sitters and we will forward to the appropriate person for entry into a database. I have added some links of interest regarding marine debris and derelict fishing gear removal in my post (on Blubberblog).

It was just two months ago when Robin reported that Sandy had been released and was being tracked.

Update: 2nd Shell drillship, Noble Discoverer, in West Seattle

Thanks to Ilona Berzups for the photo of the drillship Noble Discoverer arriving in Elliott Bay this afternoon. It was bound for Vigor Shipyards on Harbor Island, according to this marine-traffic-chronicling website. Follow that link for more background on the North Slope oil drilling planned for the Noble Discoverer; as is the case with the drillship Kulluk — Shell’s other sea rig, which has been at Vigor since July — the ND has been advancing through the permit process. Unlike the Kulluk’s arrival, we didn’t get word of this one in advance – one month ago, it was reported to be heading to the Arctic – so we’ll be checking with Vigor tomorrow.

(Added: Photo by Long B. Nguyen, taken Sunday afternoon)
ADDED 8:53 PM: Looking for more background and context on where the situation stands now, we found this March Seattle-datelined story by a Los Angeles Times reporter.

UPDATED 11:38 AM MONDAY: We contacted Shell for more information on both this drillship’s arrival and the Kulluk’s status, and heard back from Curtis Smith:

As you mentioned, the Noble Discoverer has joined Shell’s second primary drilling rig, the Kulluk, at the Vigor shipyard. Both vessels will be deployed to Alaska for Shell’s planned 2012 offshore drilling program. The departure date is not set, but since they are both expected to be on-site in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, respectively, they will likely depart Seattle sometime in June.

While in Seattle, the Discoverer will undergo final modifications to its emissions systems and receive minor winterization upgrades in preparations for its departure to Alaska. The Kulluk will leave at roughly the same time. As you are probably aware, Shell is investing hundreds of millions into both vessels to further reduce their environmental footprint once in the Arctic.

Soon to be seen off West Seattle shores: Cruise-ship changes

Water-watcher alert: You might have seen this recent story about Disney Cruise Lines bringing a ship to Seattle this year. Today, the Port of Seattle just announced some additions for next year. Oceania Cruises’ Regatta will sail from Pier 66 downtown in 2013, and Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice will sail from Magnolia’s Terminal 91. Neither has sailed from Seattle before; Solstice, according to the port announcement, “will be one of the largest cruise ships to berth in Seattle, with an overall length of 1041 feet and a capacity of 2850 passengers.” This year’s cruise season runs May 6th-September 30th, with Holland America’s Oosterdam the first one in and last one out, and 202 stops are scheduled over the spring and summer; the schedule is online – download the PDF here, linked from the port’s new cruise-related website here.

West Seattle weekend scenes: Sailing in the Sound

(UPDATED 3:33 PM with submarine photo)

12:06 PM: Sailboats on Puget Sound today! From Upper Alki, JayDee captures the wide view, and from sea level, Gary Jones takes a closer look. (Thanks to both for sharing the photos!)

We are having more trouble than usual confirming which yacht club this is – the U.S. Coast Guard “Notice to Mariners” says the Corinthian Yacht Club has its “Pulley Point” event today, but the CYC’s website labels its event for today as “Three Tree Point,” and there’s no other listed event on the USCG notice that would seem to include sailing past West Seattle shores. Any inside info appreciated!

ADDED 12:41 PM: And for more photos – nice Flickr set by Russ Walker.

1:13 PM UPDATE: Thanks to those who gently pointed out via e-mail and comments that Three Tree and Pulley are the same point! (Also pointed out on this website.) 21 years ’round here and we didn’t know that. Always glad to keep learning. Still doesn’t 100 percent confirm that this is the CYC, but the likelihood seems fairly high.

3:33 PM UPDATE: Look what else was seen off West Seattle shores today!

That photo also is courtesy of JayDee (thanks!).

Early warning: Search/rescue drill may be visible from West Seattle

From the “very early warning department,” we have an alert about a “multi-agency open-water search-and-rescue drill” next Monday that might be visible from here. We’ll file it into the calendar, but if that’s your field of interest, you might want to know even sooner, so read on: Click to read the rest of Early warning: Search/rescue drill may be visible from West Seattle…

Video: West Seattle diver Laura James & ‘Battery Roundup’ on Evening Magazine

We mentioned it in today’s “West Seattle Wednesday” preview, but in case you couldn’t watch it on TV a couple hours ago, we now have video of tonight’s KING 5 “Evening Magazine” report about West Seattle diver/photographer Laura James and her “Battery Roundup” in WS waters. (Here’s our most recent report, from last week; here’s more background from Laura’s website.)

Off West Seattle shores: USS John C. Stennis, headed home

The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, which has had a more-eventful-than-many deployment these past seven months, is in central Puget Sound right now, visible from West Seattle as it heads home to Bremerton. Thanks to Bob A in North Admiral for the photo. The Kitsap Sun, of course, is all over it – here’s their latest report on what’s been happening aboard as the carrier finished its deployment. (It stopped in San Diego this past Monday, before the final leg of the trip home.) The Navy is promising a live online video stream as the Stennis gets closer to Bremerton; here’s the link.

10:30 AM UPDATE: This photo’s from Gary Jones, with the tip of the Alki Lighthouse in the foreground:

(The Stennis is out of view now, from here – by the time we got down to the water for a firsthand look around 9:45, it was already rounding south Bainbridge.)

Seen satellite-tagged Sandy? Seal Sitters say she’s in the area

If you happen to spot the seal pup in the photo – no, it’s not in trouble, and the unusual item by her head is nothing to worry about. Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters says Sandy (the rehabbed, tagged pup mentioned here 3 weeks ago) may just turn up in West Seattle:

Sandy, the satellite-tagged seal pup, has made her way back to our area, according to the most recent satellite hits. Yesterday, she was hanging out on Vashon’s West side in Colvos Passage. This morning the data reveals that she is at the north end of Vashon, near the Port Orchard/Southworth ferry run. We are asking folks to keep an eye out for her – and to stay back (of course) and call our hotline at 206-905-7325 (SEAL) if you spot her. Sandy’s homing instinct may well be sending her back to West Seattle and we’ll be waiting with open arms and lots of yellow tape!

It is incredibly exciting to watch this little pup we rescued from West Seattle back in August and her progress back in the Salish Sea; and, thus far, she seems to be successfully adapting to her new lease on life after a very long rehab at PAWS. People can follow her on SeaDoc Society’s “Sandy” page and receive almost daily e-mails of her travels.

We want to assure folks that her satellite tag was applied with glue and will fall off as she molts her coat in a few months, if not sooner. The tag does not impair her in any way and provides invaluable data for research that will help other seal pups. Here is a link to the blog posts about Sandy, including a video of her release.

P.S. Want to be a Seal Sitters volunteer? A training session is coming up March 3rd. We have a separate story in the works on that, but you can find out more right now by going here.

West Seattle weekend scene: Ruffled feathers in South Alki

No, this great blue heron isn’t all riled up into a grumpy blue heron. Alki photographer David Hutchinson explains the bird was just “shak(ing) the water off after a morning fishing expedition in Constellation Park.”

West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas in the area again!

10:58 AM: Thanks to the Orca Network and The Whale Trail for the tip: Orcas have been reported off Vashon, headed toward West Seattle. (If you missed last Sunday’s sightings, here are our reports with photos and with video, both thanks to Rick Rasmussen.) Let us know if you see ‘em – we’re off to look too.

11:38 AM UPDATE: We couldn’t see anything from Me-Kwa-Mooks or Constellation Park, but The Whale Trail’s Donna Sandstrom says if you have good binoculars – they’re still closer to north Vashon (ferry dock area), so watching from West Seattle’s west-facing beaches in the Lincoln/Lowman area is probably your best bet right now.

West Seattle sea life: Orcas on video; seal on shore

Just out of the WSB inbox, one more look at the orcas – transients, according to The Whale Trail‘s Donna Sandstrom – that visited our area: Rick Rasmussen, who provided the photos you can see in this Sunday report, just sent the link to that video he also recorded when his sailing trip turned into an unexpected round of whale-watching.

Also visiting West Seattle on Sunday, a young seal promptly dubbed Flipper:

Alki photographer and Seal Sitters volunteer David Hutchinson shares the photo, and this update:

Even though the calendar says February, Seal Sitters is busy responding to young harbor seals on West Seattle beaches. Yesterday a weaned pup, nicknamed Flipper, spent 5 hours ashore on the steps along the promenade at Alki Beach. A large number of people were out taking advantage of our sunny weather, and volunteers had an opportunity to answer their many questions.

It is important, if you come across seals or other marine mammals on the beaches of West Seattle, to call our hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325). Please ask others to keep a respectful distance and all dogs should be on a leash. The goal, as always, is to give these young animals an opportunity to rest safely while ashore. A pup has recently been hauling out on the beaches at Lincoln Park, so if you spot him, please give our hotline a call.

For more details about Flipper and the other recent visitors to West Seattle beaches, please visit our Blubberblog.

Seal Sitters will soon be announcing the first training session of 2012 in preparation for the upcoming pupping season. For more information please visit Volunteer Now on our website.

West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas back in the area

(Photos by Rick Rasmussen)
2:13 PM: Just got a call from The Whale Trail‘s Donna Sandstrom that orcas are in the vicinity again – west of west-facing West Seattle shores, north of Blake Island, at last report. This is one day after killer whales were seen off Ballard’s Golden Gardens Park (great reader video shared by our friends at MyBallard.com).

ADDED 6:07 PM: Donna explains in a comment: “It was a group of about 10 transients, including 3 males and some juveniles. They were on the far west side of the Sound, but clearly visible with binoculars. They were mostly traveling, with some deep dives and possibly foraging.”

ADDED 9 PM: Thanks to Rick Rasmussen for sharing photos! He says, “We were fortunate enough to have a close encounter with the Orcas today. We were sailing NE of Blake Island and they crossed our path and swam past us heading North. It looked like 3 adults and 2 smaller ones. Amazing!”

Seen off West Seattle shores: USCGC Healy homecoming

Thanks to Kathy Weitz for sharing that photo she took this morning as the US Coast Guard cutter Healy sailed through Elliott Bay on the final leg of its trip home to the downtown Seattle waterfront. According to this Associated Press story published by our partners at the Seattle Times, the Healy has been out on patrol for 254 days. KING 5.com has video from its arrival at Pier 36.

West Seattle scene: USS Shoup heads home

Thanks to Bob A. in North Admiral for photographing the destroyer USS Shoup in Elliott Bay. Our partners at the Times reported earlier this week that the Shoup is heading home to Everett this week after seven months of work at Vigor Shipyards on Harbor Island.

Update: USS Ronald Reagan, as seen from West Seattle

We mentioned this morning that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was headed for Bremerton – and lots of folks subsequently watched as it headed past West Seattle shores in the past hour and a half or so. Bob A shares the above photo, taken from North Admiral, and also looked up its stats:

1,002.9 Feet Long
134.1 Feet Wide
Draft: 40.9 Feet Deep
Gross Tons: 109598
Net Tons: 55350
Built: 2003

The Kitsap Sun reports it’ll be at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for a year of maintenance and that its homeport has been “administratively” changed to Bremerton for that duration, so that the families of its 2,500 crew members can join them here. (We’re expecting to add another photo or two later.)

ADDED 6:40 PM: Here, actually, are three photos. First two are by Greg (thank you!) – including the view that a commenter described earlier, wondering about the cars on deck; third, with the ferry, is by WSB’s Patrick Sand.

The Kitsap Sun has an updated story on the carrier’s arrival, and photos from that side of the Sound, here.