8/5 J2 Granny, bird die-off, 'sea snow,' fish fee, weekend tug weather

J2 Granny (Heather MacIntryre/KIRO)

A whale that predates the Titanic is still splashing through the Pacific
She was in ocean waters before the Titanic made its voyage across the Atlantic. She’s lived through two world wars, and is even older than women’s right to vote. And last week, J2 Granny – the whale that turned 105 this year – was seen swimming in high spirits in waters near Washington state, according to Orca Network. Kiana Cole reports. (Charlotte Observer)

Scientists consider starvation or illness in eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca bird die-off
Scientists are getting closer to understanding why hundreds of rhinoceros auklets, a seabird closely related to puffins, have been found dead in the eastern part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They may have starved. About 400 emaciated birds have washed ashore on beaches west of Port Angeles, near Victoria, and as far east as Whidbey Island since May, said conservation biologist Peter Hodum, an associate professor at the University of Puget Sound. Necropsies of some of the birds performed by the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center showed the birds may have died from bacterial pneumonia. What isn’t clear is whether they first caught pneumonia then starved, or if the birds couldn’t find food and then became more susceptible to pneumonia, Hodum said. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Underwater photographer captures 'sea snow' in Puget Sound
On a June day in Colvos Passage, south of Olalla, "Doc" Thoemke dropped a homemade underwater video camera over the side of his boat. As he lowered it to the bottom of Puget Sound, flakes appeared on the video monitor. "We're looking really good. See how thick the flakes are? They're just huge," Thoemke said. As the camera moved to a depth of 300 feet, beyond where divers can go, the flakes became thicker…. KIRO 7 showed the underwater video clips to Christopher Krembs, an oceanographer in the marine monitoring unit at the Washington Department of Ecology. Turns out, Thoemke wasn't far off when he called it sea snow. "It's called marine snow. and it doesn't sink very fast, and so basically, it gets transported with the currents over long distances," Krembs said. Marine snow is microalgae that forms at the surface where there's light and then dies and sinks slowly through the water column. Graham Johnson reports. (KIRO)

License fee increases part of plan to support fish, wildlife programs 
South Sound residents will have the chance this week to comment on proposed license fee increases to expand conservation programs and provide more fishing and hunting opportunities. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is holding four meetings to gather input on the proposals. The workshops are part of “Washington’s Wild Future: A Partnership for Fish and Wildlife,” the agency’s effort to strengthen the department’s relationships with communities, increase support for conservation and outdoor recreation, and help ensure its programs and services meet the public’s needs, according to a news release. Jeffery Mayor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT FRI AUG 5 2016  

TODAY  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT  8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W  SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING N TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT  W WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND  WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SUN  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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