Yes this is a turkey vulture and it is a little out of place. They breed regularly on eastern and western Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the southwestern mainland coast. In September and early October, large numbers congregate on southern Vancouver Island; kettles of several hundred vultures can be seen at Sooke, Beechey Head and Rocky Point. It is possible that the entire coastal population stages there before flying southward across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This photo was taken on
August 25, 2015 so this bird should be heading to southern Vancouver Island about 400 kilometers (250 miles) distance. Instead it is sunning itself near the grizzly bear viewing platform we use on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River.
Sea Otter Sightings
The last 3 years we have been starting to view sea otters in our area more regularly. They are still often a distance away, but the sightings are increasing with some “rafts” of them developing in areas near the western portion of our whale watching trips. These animals were hunted heavily for their fur and were completely wiped out of British Columbia waters. Re-introduction occurred from Alaskan otters in the 1960’s. They have long been protected and their numbers have been steadily increasing along the exposed BC coast and are now moving back into inside waters. They are unique in that they don’t have the insulating blubber that other marine mammals use to keep warm. As a result they have dense (over 1 million hairs per square inch) fur and feed heavily. They are important in balancing the eco-system. They eat a lot of sea urchins, which eat a lot of kelp. Kelp is extremely important as it provides cover for juvenile fish and is where the herring spawn in the early spring. With the increase in these otters we are seeing a greater abundance and healthier kelp forests.
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