11/28 Old shark, oil barge, killer whales, Indian Island, Nordland II, Trans Ocean Seafoods, fish farm theft

Greenland shark [WaterFrame/Alamy]

The Strange and Gruesome Story of the Greenland Shark, the Longest-Living Vertebrate on Earth
Using carbon dating and a new method involving proteins in the lens of the eye, Danish scientists have unravelled the mystery of how long Greenland sharks live. M.R. O'Conner reports. (The New Yorker)

Stranded barge safe and under tow heading north from Bella Bella
A massive oil-loaded barge stranded near Bella Bella B.C., after it was hit by heavy seas, is now safe and under tow, says a captain in charge of the rescue. The incident, just a year after the Nathan E. Stewart fuel spill, has local First Nations renewing calls for a greater say in marine disaster response. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria (JRCC) says the Zidell Marine 277 broke free from its tug, the Jake Shearer, around 3:45 p.m. PT Sunday. Yvette Brend report. (CBC) See also: Jack Knox: B.C. has never had an oil-tanker spill — but it only takes one  (Times Colonist)

The Hunger Games: Two Killer Whales, Same Sea, Different Diets
The Salish Sea’s resident killer whales are in trouble—and garnering all the headlines—but transient killer whales traveling the same waters seem to be doing fine. Larry Pynn reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Little-known island the 'logistics backbone' of Pacific Northwest Navy fleet
Tucked away off the forested Jefferson County coastline 20 miles north of the Hood Canal Bridge, there's a little-known Navy installation that serves as the "logistics backbone" for ships heading out to the Pacific Ocean. Naval Magazine Indian Island serves as the last stop for many ships where they load up on "fuel, food and munitions" before heading out to the open ocean, said Cmdr. Rocky Pulley, commanding officer of the installation. Julianne Stanford reports. (Kitsap Sun)

New landing craft ferry serves Washington out islands
Salish Sea islanders in Washington state have a new ride for their vehicles and heavy equipment deliveries, with the arrival of the landing craft ferry Nordland II. The ferry was built for San Juan Ferry & Barge in Friday Harbor, Wash., on San Juan Island. The 86’x25’ vessel delivered last week by Latitude Marine Services LLC, La Connor, Wash., features a 75’x23’ cargo deck open at the stern for cargo overhang. A high pilothouse offset to starboard gives Capt. Marty Starr excellent all-around visibility.
Kirk Moore writes. (Workboat)

Seafood company settles sexual harassment lawsuit
A Bellingham-based seafood company that harvests and processes shellfish in Skagit County has settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by three female workers. Trans Ocean Seafoods Inc., which does business as New England Shellfish, agreed to pay $75,000 total to the three women, who worked as clam diggers in the company's south Skagit Bay location. Kera Wanielista reports. (Skagit Valley herald)

Puget Sound piracy: Thieves steal Atlantic salmon from floating farm 
Call it Puget Sound piracy. Thieves boarded a floating salmon farm a few saltwater miles from Anacortes on a Saturday night in September. In their wake, they left a trail of blood. Fish blood, that is. The thieves boated out to one of Cooke Aquaculture’s Atlantic salmon farms, a grid of 40-foot-deep net-pens ringed by a floating walkway bigger than a football field. They hauled away an undisclosed number of fish from two of the 10 pens. They killed more by turning off the farm’s air hoses that help oxygenate the water where the domesticated salmon swim by the thousands. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Now, your tug weather--
 West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PST Tue Nov 28 2017  
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM PST THIS MORNING
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM PST THIS MORNING  THROUGH THIS EVENING  
TODAY  S wind 25 to 35 kt becoming SW 15 to 25 kt during the  morning. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft. W swell 10  ft at 9 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after midnight. W  swell 12 ft at 19 seconds building to 16 ft at 15 seconds after  midnight. Showers in the evening then showers likely after  midnight.

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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 (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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