5/6 Humpback, BC climate, saving kelp, monitoring kelp, BC avian flu, fecal pollution, cougar kitten killed, week in review

[Salish Sea News and Weather will take a break and return in about 10 days.]

Humpback Whale [NOAA]

Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae
Humpback whales live in all oceans around the world. They travel great distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet. Some populations swim 5,000 miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder, more productive feeding grounds. Humpback whales feed on shrimp-like crustaceans (krill) and small fish, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates, which act like a sieve. The humpback whale gets its common name from the distinctive hump on its back. Its long pectoral fins inspired its scientific name, Megaptera, which means “big-winged” and novaeangliae, which means “New England,” in reference to the location where European whalers first encountered them. (NOAA)

Fire & Flood, Facing Two Extremes: Why B.C. can't always build its way out of risks
Moving homes and infrastructure out of a flood-prone area, or "managed retreat," is often seen as a last resort but it's a tactic some experts believe should be used more frequently in B.C. Glenda Luymes and Gordon Hoekstra report. (Vancouver Sun)

Kelp has protected Samish people for millennia. Now it needs their help
Kelp forests have fed and supported coastal tribes like the Samish since time immemorial. With these underwater forests in trouble up and down the West Coast, some researchers and tribal members are now trying to return the favor. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Puget Sound Restoration Fund Announces Critical Multi-Year Kelp Monitoring Initiative
Today, Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation announced the launch of a multi-year, comprehensive kelp forest monitoring initiative as part of their larger ongoing kelp program. Puget Sound kelp forests are currently in decline due to threats from pollution and climate change. (Paul G. Allen Family Foundation News Release)

Bird baths, feeders should be removed to stop spread of avian flu: B.C. SPCA
The B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has asked the public to temporarily take down backyard bird feeders and empty any bird baths as avian flu continues to spread across the province. The society on Thursday said the disease can spread via feeders "because they encourage unnatural congregations of birds and attract other wildlife." (CBC)

Fecal pollution restricts shellfish harvest in Mason, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties
The Washington State Department of Health has completed the annual water quality evaluation of the state’s commercial shellfish growing areas... high fecal bacteria levels will lead to harvest restrictions in four of Washington’s 115 shellfish growing areas. Portions of the Annas Bay, (Mason County), Vaughn Bay (Pierce County), Port Susan (Snohomish County), and Henderson Inlet (Thurston County) do not meet public health standards and shellfish harvesting will be restricted. The restrictions will be in place by August 2022. An additional 19 areas currently meet water quality standards but are threatened with classification downgrades. (WA DOH)

Cougar kittens illegally shot and killed in Cowichan Valley
The B.C. Conservation Officers Service is asking the public for information after two cougar kittens were illegally shot and killed in the Cowichan Valley. The paws and heads of the kittens had been removed. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 5/6/22: Aloha Nurses' Day, railroad blockages, Intalco, Union Bay ship-breaking, Healing Forest, Tina Whitman, orca protection, orca calf, MMIP Awareness, humpbacks, BC climate, kelp

Now, your weekend tug weather--

West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 343 AM PDT Fri May 6 2022
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING...
TODAY W wind to 10 kt becoming NE in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of showers.
SAT W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 8 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of showers.
SAT NIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less after midnight. SW swell 5 ft at 14 seconds.
SUN W wind to 10 kt rising to 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds.

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