7/17 Photo contest, June SRKW, salmon threats, youth on BC pipe, geothermal testing, sea otter

"Octopus tentacle in a spiral" [Bruce Kerwin]

Salish Sea photo contest shows diversity of local species
Nearly 900 photographs highlighting the diversity and biodiversity of our inland waterways were submitted to the “Salish Sea in Focus” photo contest, which just announced the winners yesterday.... The Grand Prize in the contest was awarded to Bruce Kerwin of Bainbridge Island, whose photo shows the furled tentacles of a giant Pacific octopus at Sund Rock on Hood Canal. Other winners were named in five categories plus an additional award for photographers under age 18.,,, The winning photos can be seen on SeaDoc’s photo contest website, while the 130 top photos are available on a separate webpage. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Summary of June Southern Resident Visits 
Photos and a summary of SRKW activity by Orca Watcher Monika Wieland. Good stuff.

New studies on emerging threats to salmon
Chemicals, disease and other stressors can increase a salmon's chance of being eaten or reduce its ability to catch food. Read the final installment in the series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project with a look at some of the lesser-known, but still significant factors contributing to salmon declines in the Salish Sea. Chris Dunagan reports on chemical contaminants, disease, artificial light and harmful algal blooms. (Salish Sea Currents)

Members of Trudeau's youth council urge cancellation of Kinder Morgan buyout
Members of Justin Trudeau's youth council are urging the prime minister to withdraw his decision to buy Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline. Sixteen past and present members of the youth council are releasing a letter to Trudeau expressing their "disappointment" in the Liberal government's move to buy the pipeline project for $4.5 billion. The letter, signed primarily by Indigenous members, says young people supported Trudeau during the 2015 federal election because of promises he made on reconciliation and climate leadership. It says when Trudeau appointed himself the minister for youth, he indicated he would listen and honour the concerns of young people. The signatories say they're questioning Trudeau's commitments because they weren't consulted about the pipeline decision and they are the ones who will be affected by the consequences of climate change. (Canadian Press)

Geothermal testing to be done near Baker Lake
In the continued search for sources of renewable energy, crews will soon drill deep into the ground near some of the state’s volcanoes. The state Department of Natural Resources plans to drill this year near Mount Baker north of Baker Lake. Alex Steely, geothermal project manager for the agency’s Washington Geological Survey, said drilling will likely be done at the Mount Baker site in September after drilling is completed at a site near Mount St. Helens — an effort that is expected to begin this month. Two holes will be drilled near each volcano. Each 2-inch-wide, 1,600-foot-deep hole — about the size of a water well and as deep as about two and a half Space Needles — will take about two weeks to drill. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)


Rare Sighting of Sea Otter on Sunday Near Port Angeles
Marine mammal enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest are celebrating a recent increase in sea otter sightings that appear to show conservation efforts are working. McKenna Hanson, a naturalist with Island Adventures Whale Watching, photographed a female sea otter Sunday near the mouth of the Elwha River. The sea otter was spotted near the mouth of the Elwha River, and is the third confirmed sea otter in the Salish Sea. Sea otters are rarely spotted in the area. Sea otters were nearly driven to extinction by fur traders from the late 1700s to early 1900s due to their desirable pelts, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (KIRO)



Now, your tug weather--



West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  225 AM PDT Tue Jul 17 2018  

TODAY  NW wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. W  swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning. 

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 9 seconds. Patchy fog after midnight.


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