4/15 Herring spawn, killing seals, Whale Trail, Bigg's orcas, Tim Ragan, WA clean energy, David Attenborough, big quake, Adventuress

Herring spawn, Discovery Bay [Jeff Taylor/CWI]

Discovery Bay spawning 2019
Ann Shaffer of Coastal Watershed Institute writes: "Another example of herring-and others- spawning. This one is the closest to home-the east side of Discovery Bay, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. The photos of white 'foam' and eggs deposited on eelgrass and Gracilaria spp ... and characteristic conflagration of eagles, sea lions, harbor seals, and sea ducks are unmistakable. It seems like a much smaller event than those we've seen in Hood Canal and BC. The Discovery Bay stock has decreased precipitously over the decades and has been observed for the first time in decades only the last few years-an encouraging trend in troubling times. Spawning along our shorelines may continue for a few more weeks. If you see these wildlife 'parties' and whitish water (less obvious) call WDFW forage fish program to let them know. And drop us a note too....A fascinating place and time, and a critical process that defines the health of our marine coastal system."

Hey, seals and sea lions! Quit eating so much endangered orca food... or else.
Politicians and wildlife managers are engaged in a fresh debate about whether to intervene in nature to save an imperiled species. The question is whether humans can get seals and sea lions to lay off Chinook salmon so there's more for killer whales to eat. Chinook — or king — salmon are the preferred food of the critically-endangered Pacific Northwest orcas. But growing numbers of sea lions and the robust population of harbor seals eat Chinook too. "This is that classic mix of the predators being a protected species and the prey being a protected species," said Nate Pamplin, policy director for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "We don't know the level of consumption in terms of whether or not humans should intervene." Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Whale watching by land and by boat sparks 'sheer joy,' inspiring lifelong orca advocates
xperts and enthusiasts agree, whether on water or on land: it’s difficult to describe the feeling people get in the presence of orcas. “I wish you could bottle what happens when people see whales,” said Donna Sandstrom, while passing out binoculars to passersby in West Seattle. “The sheer joy and the awe is always moving.” Sandstrom founded the Seattle-based nonprofit The Whale Trail, in partnership with several state and regional agencies and organizations, in 2008. It includes more than 100 sites for whale watching from British Columbia to California, aimed at building community and stewardship around orcas and other marine life. Bellamy Pailthorp and Kari Plog report. (KNKX)

New pictures show how Bigg's killer whales are thriving, even as southern resident population declines
Simon Pidcock has been watching whales for the past 17 years. In all that time, he's never seen anything like what he witnessed last Sunday off B.C.'s Sunshine Coast. "[It] was one of those amazing days that we all live for," said Pidcock, owner of Cowichan Bay-based Ocean Eco Ventures. An estimated 41 Bigg's killer whales were socializing together in the Salish Sea, right in front of Pidock's boat. Joel Ballard reports. (CBX)

Event-- Recovering the Southern Residents: lessons learned from other populations
With just 75 individuals in the population, the southern resident orcas are in danger of going extinct. Is it too late? What will it take to recover the southern residents, and what can we learn from similar efforts with other populations? Retired marine mammal scientist Dr. Tim Ragen will review the status of the southern resident killer whale population and then review conservation efforts for other marine mammals to highlight lessons learned and relevant to killer whale conservation. Whale Trail Director Donna Sandstrom will also give an update on orca legislation, and Governor Inslee's Task Force on SRKW Recovery. April 18, 7 pm, C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW, Seattle; $5 suggested donation; kids free; Brown Paper Tickets

House OKs 100 percent clean energy in Washington by 2045
The Washington House passed a measure Thursday that seeks to eliminate fossil fuels like natural gas and coal from the state’s electricity supply by 2045. The measure — a key piece of Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate agenda — passed on a 56-42 vote. It passed the Senate last month on a 28-19 vote, on the same day that Inslee announced he was running for president. Because the bill was amended by the House, it heads back to the Senate for a final vote. Rachel La Corte reports. (Associated Press)

David Attenborough gave the natural world a voice. Now he’s talking about climate change like never before.
Sir David Attenborough has been documenting nature for more than six decades. His various television series — such as “Life on Earth,” “The Living Planet” and “Planet Earth” — have taken viewers to every corner of the globe, capturing the beauty and complexity of the natural world. At 92, the renowned British naturalist is hardly finished. In recent years, Attenborough increasingly has used his spellbinding whisper of a voice not only to describe the courtship rituals of birds of paradise or the mass migration of millions of Christmas Island red crabs, but also to repeatedly sound the alarm about climate change. Brady Dennis reports. (Washington Post) See also: With the Netflix Series “Our Planet,” David Attenborough Delivers an Urgent Message (New Yorker)

It’s been 70 years since the earth shook for an entire minute. Are we due for a repeat?
The earth rocked for an entire minute, starting at 11:55 a.m. on April 13, 1949. A second wave came 18 seconds later, felt across more than 150,000 square miles from British Columbia to Salem, Oregon, and over to Idaho and Montana. Even though the needle was knocked off the seismograph at the University of Washington, it recorded vibrations for 21 minutes. Four people in Washington state died of heart attacks brought on by the earthquake. Four others, including an 11-year-old Tacoma boy, were killed by falling rubble. It was the largest earthquake to hit the state since 1872. Officials say the next big one could hit in the next 50 years. Stacia Glenn reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Adventuress launched again after decade of work finished
The 106-year-old schooner Adventuress is back in the water after spending another winter on land while a 10-year restoration was completed. Dozens of people watched the historic 133-foot vessel as it made its way across the Port Townsend Boat Haven hanging from a 300-ton travel lift Friday morning before being lowered into the water. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  301 AM PDT Mon Apr 15 2019   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  7 ft at 13 seconds. 
TONIGHT  E wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds.

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