12/5 Pacific wren, Navy spill, oil and gas ads, wildfires, Tokitae documentary, Vancouver Is salmon return, marmot births

 Editor's note: Highlighted below as the top story in Salish Current is a report on San Juan County's year-long experiment with a 32-hour work week. It's a story informing readers of the Current but also one of interest to the wider Salish Sea readership of News and Weather. It's not every day that a "local" story has a regional interest but sometimes it does and I think that it's worth the monthly or one-time donation News and Weather readers can make to support freelancers writing in a nonprofit publication like the Current. Give Nancy's story a read and if you agree, p;ease make a donation to the 2xLocalMatch campaign today. Thank you. Mike Sato.

Pacific Wren [Mason Maron]

Pacific Wren Troglodytes pacificus
Pacific Wrens are tiny brown wrens with a song much larger than themselves. One researcher deemed them a “pinnacle of song complexity.” This tinkling, bubbly songster is more often heard than seen within the dark understory of old-growth evergreen forests where they live. When Pacific Wrens sing they hold their tail upright and their entire body shakes with sound. They move like mice through the forest understory, hopping along logs and upturned roots. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current: San Juan County sees benefits from shortened work week

Navy well drilling project near Keyport causes sewage spill into Liberty Bay
This story has been updated: The Kitsap Public Heath District updated its advisories at 3:20 p.m. on December 3. The area of the no-contact and shellfish harvesting advisories has been reduced to the southern portion of Liberty Bay and the Keyport shoreline. A Navy environmental project to drill two wells near the Keyport base has resulted in a large volume of sewage spill that initially affected all of Liberty Bay, Keyport, and some water near the west shoreline of Bainbridge Island. Peiyu Lin reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Drilling into oil and gas ads — how accurate are they?
You may have noticed a lot of oil and gas advertising recently, mainly driven by the Government of Alberta and Cenovus Energy. These ads point to dire consequences if the oil and gas industry is disrupted. Cenovus's ads imply, for example, that without a strong oil and gas industry, Canadians will get less for their dollar. But how accurate are these claims? cole Mortillaro reports. (CBC)

How a new era of weather is challenging the idea that some wildfires shouldn't be put out
Putting out every fire is a recipe for long-term disaster. But increasingly extreme weather can turn even remote blazes into dangerous infernos. Tyler Olsen reports. (Fraser Valley Current)

Documentary follows effort to free Tokitae, the famous orca held in captivity for 53 years
A new documentary film tells the story of a captured orca named Tokitae that died in 2023 amid efforts to free her from more than 50 years of captivity, and it’s being shown this week at the Whistler Film Festival in the British Columbia resort.“Resident Orca” follows the plight of Tokitae, a qwe ‘lhol mechen, as orcas are known to the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) people who consider them as ancestors going back to the beginning of time. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Vancouver Island salmon return 'one of the best in 20 years'
Climate change could undermine this year's good return and impact future salmon generations, expert says. Olivier Laurin reports. (Coast Mountain News)

Baby boom! Vancouver Island marmots break records for 2024
A baby boom has taken over Mount Washington as the critically engaged species, the Vancouver Island Marmot, welcomed over 100 newly born pups. As its name suggests the Vancouver Island marmot is found only on Vancouver Island, mainly on Mount Washington and in the Strathcona Park area. 20 years ago the species faced near extinction, with only 38 marmots left remaining in the wild. Lauryn Mackenzie reports. (CHLY.FM)

New rules for whale watching
Beginning Jan 1, 2025, boaters in Washington state will be required to stay 1000 yards away from Southern Residents. The distance is based on best available science showing the harmful impact of noise and disturbance on the ability of Southern Residents to find and catch their prey. On Dec. 10, The Whale Trail hosts a program featuring Capt. Alan Myers, WDFW Enforcement, speaking about new distance regulations and researchers Mark Sears and Maya Sears discussing their fieldwork and recent encounters with the orcas, including a rare superpod in October. Halls of Fauntleroy, 9131 Fauntleroy Way SW, 7 p.m. Tickets.

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  301 AM PST Thu Dec 5 2024    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 13 seconds. A chance of rain.  TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 13 seconds. A chance of rain after midnight.

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