5/12 Defend monuments, clean sewage, owl cam, Van Aqua plan, transient orcas, Pt Defiance makeover

Pacific banana slug

Pacific Banana Slug
Our big native slug is the banana slug, Ariolimax columbianus. After a European species that grows to a foot (30 centimeters) in length, ours is the second largest in the world, reaching lengths of 25 centimeters. Four of these in a cup would weigh a pound! Rarely are such monsters seen, though; most that we encounter are in the range of 10-15 centimeters, just a bit larger than the much more familiar garden slugs. (Northwest Nature Notes)

Washington AG Pledges To Defend National Monuments
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is pledging to defend the state’s national monuments. Ferguson sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke defending the Hanford Reach National Monument, which is up for review under an executive order. Ferguson asserts that President Trump and Zinke don’t have the legal authority to revoke national monuments. The review could wind up shrinking, modifying or eliminating some monuments altogether. Courtney Flatt reports. (NWPR/EarthFix)

West Point sewage plant back to normal, no longer polluting
The region’s largest wastewater-treatment plant is back in compliance with its environmental permits, King County officials announced Thursday…. Wednesday was the first 24-hour period of sampling of the plant’s effluent discharged to Puget Sound offshore of Discovery Park that showed full compliance with its state and federal environmental permits…. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Live owl cam: Watch endangered northern spotted owl born in Langley B.C
You will probably never see an endangered northern spotted owl in the wild in B.C., given that fewer than 20 remain. But with modern technology, you can view the latest owlet of the species hatched at the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Centre in north Langley. The centre has installed a webcam above a hollowed-out stump so the public can view the parents raising their owlet through May and June. Peak times for viewing activity on the nest are from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver Park Board releases draft plan to end cetacean display
The Vancouver Park Board released a draft plan to end the display of cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium.Current bylaws allow for whales to be brought into the aquarium on certain conditions — for example, if a whale is in distress, is a member of an endangered species or is already being kept in another park. Draft amendments to the cetacean display bylaws would remove those exemptions.  The amendments will also allow the aquarium to keep their three current cetaceans but forbids their use in shows or displays. Liam Britten reports. CBC)

Transient killer whales make themselves at home in Puget Sound
Transient killer whales are gallivanting around Puget Sound like they own the place — and maybe they do. For decades, transients were not well known to most observers in the Salish Sea. But now these marine-mammal-eating orcas are even more common than our familiar Southern Residents, the J, K and L pods. In fact, transients are becoming so prevalent that is hard to keep track of them all. Some observers say up to 10 different groups of transients could be swimming around somewhere in Puget Sound at any given time. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

$2 million makeover at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium exhibit
A $2.7 million makeover to the home of walruses, sea lions and other marine mammals at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is complete. The grand opening for Rocky Shores was Thursday, with Tacoma Rainiers’ mascot Rhubarb throwing out a first ceremonial fish to one of the sea lions. Stacia Glenn reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  628 AM PDT FRI MAY 12 2017  

TODAY  E WIND 10 TO 20 KT EASING TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS IN THE AFTERNOON.  W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF  TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT  W WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.
SAT  SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT  AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING THEN SHOWERS  LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT  SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN  LIGHT WIND BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT BECOMING 2 FT OR LESS IN THE AFTERNOON. W  SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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