10/10 Rhinoceros auklet, The Blob returns, new WA ferries, killer beetles, renewable energy, BC pipe, butterfly color, democracy watch, week in review

Rhinoceros Auklet [Ken Langelier]

Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata
The squat, grayish Rhinoceros Auklet is a close relative of puffins, although it doesn't sport quite such a fancy bill. Still, its name refers to the single vertical horn that sticks up from its orange bill—an odd accessory that turns out to be fluorescent and may be used for visual communication. These seabirds are fairly common along the Pacific Coast of North America, where they hunt close to shore for small schooling fish, pursuing them by "flying" underwater with strong wingbeats. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Bird flu is spreading to wild mammal populations

Return of The Blob: Heat wave spans Pacific Ocean
A massive heat wave is hitting the Pacific Ocean from Kamchatka to California. Water temperatures several degrees above normal span thousands of miles, though they have mostly stopped short of the Pacific Northwest coast. Cool water welling up from the depths is thought to be keeping surface temperatures near the Oregon and Washington coasts closer to normal. John Ryan reports. (KUOW) 

Wait for new WA ferries grows even longer with selection of Florida shipyard 
The state’s contract extends the delivery deadline for each of the three plug-in vessels a year longer than initially planned, pushing completion of the boats to 2032. Tom Banse and Jerry Cornfield report. (Washington State Standard) 

Tree-killing beetles are in Portland. Is Washington next? 
After destroying millions of trees in the Midwest and East Coast, the emerald ash borer appears poised to cross the Columbia River. Ian Rose reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first, report says
For the first time, renewable energy has overtaken coal as the primary source of electricity around the world, a new report says, indicating a shift in the global reliance on environmentally harmful fossil fuels. Renewable electricity use rose to 34.3% of global consumption in the first half of 2025, while coal's use fell to 33.1%, the energy think tank Ember found. Renewable energies include sources like solar, wind and hydro, as opposed to fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. Alana Wise reports. (NPR) 

Majority of Canadians — including B.C. residents — support Alberta’s pipeline push, poll finds
Overall, 59 per cent of respondents across Canada indicated they “support” or “strongly support” a pipeline, with Albertans showing the most support at 78 per cent. And while B.C. Premier David Eby has been staunchly opposed to the pipeline proposal, the poll shows 56 per cent of British Columbians support the idea. Rukhsar Ali reports. (CBC) 

As the World Becomes Drab, Butterflies Follow 
With monocultures increasingly replacing diverse forests in the tropics, brilliance has become a burden.  Phoebe Weston reports. (bioGraphic/The Guardian) 

Democracy Watch

• María Corina Machado of Venezuela wins the Nobel Peace Prize (AP) 
• 59% of Americans disapprove of RFK Jr.'s moves as health secretary, a new poll says (NPR) 
• FACT FOCUS: Trump paints a grim portrait of Portland. The story on the ground is much less extreme (AP) 
• WA GOP backs Trump troop deployments; some hope Seattle is next  (Seattle Times) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/10/25: Squid Friday, pink salmon, carbon removal, WA carbon market, Vancouver sewage, AK mining,  BC beavers, Skagit sockeye, WA solar. The Blob returns. 

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Here's your weekend tug weather—  
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  231 AM PDT Fri Oct 10 2025    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 9 seconds. Showers.  
TONIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 10 seconds and W 2 ft at 15 seconds. Showers.  
SAT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming W 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 13 seconds.  Showers.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind around 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft, building to  6 to 9 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: W 9 ft at 10 seconds. A  chance of showers.  
SUN  NW wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft  at 10 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning, then showers  likely in the afternoon.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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