Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS)
Marine Mammal and Seabird survey cruise
16-24 June 2000

Here is just a quick summary listing and results along with some minimal
comment from seabird and marine mammal sighting surveys in the Olympic Coast
National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) off the NW Washington coast, 16-24 June
2000. The boat used for this annual assessment of marine birds, mammals, and
sampling of various oceanographic parameters in the OCNMS and offshore to the
shelf break and canyon areas was the 108-foot U.S. Navy vessel "Agate
Passage" based out of Keyport, sailing from Neah Bay on 16 June and returning
to Port Angeles at sunrise on 25 June. We conducted surveys along 14
east-west transect lines ranging in length from 50 nmi to 20 nmi.and spaced 5
nmi apart between the latitudes of 48?29.3' N and 47?24.3' N in addition to
opportunistic lines and 'deadheads'. Seabird observers included Barbara
Blackie (BB), Bruce LaBar (BL), Scott Mills (SM). Richard Rowlett (RR) was
the only marine mammal observer onboard but since seabirds just go with the
territory, I couldn't ignore them of course.

The seabird transects were systematically surveyed within the standard 300
meter format from 0? to 90? on which ever side provided the best viewing
conditions, i.e no glare, and entered in real time into a computer base.
Thus, no actual summary totals are available at this time. The listing which
follows is pretty much just that, a list, and incorporates all species seen
including those out of the designated 300 meter survey zone which you should
find this interesting enough. This listing may not be complete and my
numerical estimates and comments are based on generalization and impressions..
Eventual analysis of the systematic data will prove more factual and
revealing. The marine mammal surveys followed standard line transect
methodology and encompassed everything I could detect along the track lines
in a 180? forward swath from 90? port (left) to 90? right (starboard).
----------------

The seabird list ---

Pacific Loon -- at least one incidental sightings nearshore.

Common Loon -- at least two incidental sightings nearshore.

Black-footed Albatross -- perhaps ~500 in this 3300 sq nmi survey area with
largest concentrations (100-150) around the large commercial Hake trawlers
along and near the shelf break.

Laysan Albatross -- only 1 which was a little surprising (BB, SM, RR). I
would have expected a few more.

Northern Fulmar -- numerous and widespread throughout.

MURPHY'S PETREL -- 2 sightings incl. single individuals on the shelf break
at the end of line 7 (47?59.3'N, 125?40.8'W) on 19 June (BL) and at the end
of line 11 (47?39.3'N, 125?08.8'W) on 21 June (RR)

Pink-footed Shearwater -- widespread throughout, maybe one per hundred
Sooties.

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER -- two sightings; one on 18 June (BL, SM, RR), and
one in B.C. waters on 24 June (SM)

**GREATER SHEARWATER** -- well... just one!! Ain't that enough?!? 35 nmi
due west of Cape Flattery (BB, SM, RR) [details below]. ...agh, agh, agh;
don't be scrolling down to peek now :-))

BULLER'S SHEARWATER -- 3 scattered individuals, 18, 19, and 21 June; a
little early maybe?

Sooty Shearwater -- exponentially, the most abundant and widespread seabird
numbering overall, maybe 10 - 20,000 or more. Eventual analysis of strip
line seabird data should be interesting.

Short-tailed Shearwater -- 5-10 individuals total scattered about.

MANX SHEARWATER -- three sightings, all singles, and all fairly nearshore
(2-15 nmi) mixed in with the first 'nearshore strip' of Sooty Shearwaters we
typically encountered along the survey lines. Sightings without the exact
positions: one on 19 June (RR), one on 23 June (BB, SM), and another on 23
June (RR). All seen well and close. ID documentation can be provided if
required.

Based on most cumulative Washington records to date along with some 25 or so
sightings I've logged at Point Piedras Blancas, San Luis Obispo Co.,
California since 1994, I would suggest that if any of 'you' would like to
tick Manx Shearwater for Washington minus the agony of a pelagic trip, you
might do well just setting up your scope at Ocean Shores, Westport, or
somewhere along the coast where you might get a good view of nearshore Sooty
Shearwater flights. Mornings from sunrise to probably midmorning are best
for lighting and likely most activity. Spend a few hours just diligently
scanning and be patient. I'll bet the farm that the most dedicated and
persistent observers will eventually be rewarded. It's an easy ID; it's
small, flat black over snowy white, and at least at Piedras Blancas, often
out of the thousands of nearshore Sooty Shearwaters passing by on any one
particular day, the closest shearwater you may see to the beach.

Fork-tailed Storm Petrel -- numerous (hundreds) mostly from mid-shelf to
shelf break on all survey lines.

Leach's Storm Petrel -- low numbers (<100) but all at or just beyond the
shelf break at the far west ends of the survey lines.

Brandt's Cormorant -- a few incidental sightings nearshore.

Pelagic Cormorant -- at least one incidental sighting nearshore.

Greater Scaup -- one flock of 4 (2 pair) plus another pair flying north
mid-shelf (late migrants?)

White-winged Scoter -- at least two incidental sightings nearshore.

Wandering Tattler -- one incidental sighting a few miles offshore.

Red-necked Phalarope -- at least two single and separate individuals (BL,
SM).

Red Phalarope -- at least one alt. plumaged adult (BL, SM).

Pomarine Jaeger -- at least two adults

unid. jaeger -- at least one

South Polar Skua -- total of four individuals scattered about mostly
mid-shelf to the shelf break (BB, BL, SM, BL, RR).

Bonaparte's Gull -- five or so incidental nearshore in mouth of Strait (16
June).

California Gull -- just a sprinkle of single individuals here and there.

Western Gull -- a few scattered singles here and there.

Glaucous-winged Gull -- a few scattered singles here and there.

'hybrid' WExGW gull -- the common gull of the cruise, widespread throughout
but not really all that commonly encountered. Typically one or two here and
there.

Black-legged Kittiwake -- only one sub-adult on 17 June (RR).

Arctic Tern -- maybe 20 total scattered in groups of 2-5.

Common Murrre -- fairly common and widespread throughout (~500).

Pigeon Guillemot -- apart from those around Neah Bay, one pair out about 30
nmi on 22 June was a bit unusual and the only ones seen during the survey
(RR, SM, BB).

Marbled Murrelet -- a few scattered individuals and pairs, maybe 20 total,
at the most nearshore ends of survey lines and coastal deadheads.

Ancient Murrelet -- maybe 10 total scattered about and usually in pairs.

Cassin's Auklet -- widespread in small numbers with sightings mostly
mid-shelf to the shelf break on most lines (~200).

Rhinoceros Auklet -- similar to Cassin's, perhaps a bit less in frequency,
although more numerous nearer to shore (~200).

Tufted Puffin -- widespread and uncommon but steady sightings mostly in the
nearshore half of the survey lines, and especially in the southern half of
the survey area (~100).
---------------

Marine Mammals (number of sightings / number of individuals) ---

cetaceans:
Humpback Whale -- 24/57
unid. whale (prob. Humpback) -- 3/3
Killer Whale (Orca) -- 3/36
Risso's Dolphin -- 1/6
Northern Right Whale Dolphin -- 1/6
Pacific White-sided Dolphin -- 4/369
Dall's Porpoise -- 13/44
Harbor Porpoise -- 7/11
pinnipeds / sea otter:
Harbor Seal --1/1
Northern Elephant Seal -- 2/2
Northern Fur Seal -- 1/1
Steller's Sea Lion -- 1/1
California Sea Lion -- 3/3
unid. pinniped -- 1/1
Sea Otter -- 2/2 (most of the estimated healthy 600+ population are in the
rocky nearshore coastal kelp beds)
---------------

Now, what you've all been patiently waiting for;
...the details of the **GREATER SHEARWATER** sighting --

24 June 2000 (~1520hrs) -- 48?24.3' N, 125?37.0' W --
35 nmi due west of Cape Flattery, Washington, USA
28 nmi SW of Cape Beale, Vancouver Island, BC, CANADA
28 nmi SW of Pachena Point, Vancouver Island, BC, CANADA

observers: Barbara Blackie, Scott Mills, Richard Rowlett

Identification: For me, this was an instant recognition as I yelled; "Hey,
take a look at this shearwater!" even before I started working back to
eliminate the other more likely Northeast Pacific large gray over white
shearwater suspects, i.e. Pink-footed and Buller's. First bank showing
ventral, next bank showing the dorsal, and instantly without hesitation,
"GREATER SHEARWATER!!" Scott Mills was already on it as well recognizing it
as something that wasn't matching Buller's nor Pink-footed.

This was a long straight narrow-winged streamlined shearwater lacking the
bulk of Pink-footed and wing-depth of Pink-footed or Buller's. Like
Buller's, it was distinctly black-capped with longish black bill prominently
hooked at the tip. That's where all similarities end. A prominent white
hind neck collar was boldly evident separating the cap from the neatly
scalloped gray-brown back. Equally bold was a prominent narrow white
'U-shaped' band extending wrapping around lower rump and base of a black
tail. Underparts were generally white with patchy smudges of blackish brown
scattered though the wing coverts becoming somewhat more concentrated at the
distal base of the axilars and patchy on the sides of the breast. As the
bird banked ventral in such perfect lighting, a smudgy brownish patch was
clearly visible on the lower belly. A brownish-gray shoulder mark or
extension extending downward on the side of the upper breast behind the white
collar was clearly evident.

The bird appeared to be in the early stages of molt which manifests itself
most notably on the upper wing surface as pale bands formed by missing
coverts which exposed the white bases of the secondaries and greater primary
coverts.

To my eye at least, the shape and jizz of this bird differs from Pink-footed
and Buller's (and Cory's too) showing a bird which holds it's wings
straighter and stiffer than those others named which are typically more bowed
for a more languid flight. Thus, the wings appear longer, straighter, and
narrower which in fact, they are.

I am very familiar with the Greater Shearwater from a decade (1970's) of
running Terry Wahl / Westport style pelagic trips in the western North
Atlantic off the East coast (Ocean City, Maryland) and countless other
pelagic trips and extended cruises in those waters. I'm familiar with the
bird from research cruises all across the South Atlantic as well as off
Tierra del Fuego and southern Chile where a few manage to cross over into the
far SE Pacific during the southern summer. If I were to bet, I'd place my
wager on one of those birds off southern Chile which got screwed up and
headed north on the Pacific side rather than where it belonged over on the
Atlantic side. Whether it got caught up with a Sooty Shearwater migration
has to be open to question. We're learning now that the vast majority (maybe
as high as 99%) of Sooty Shearwaters which we see each spring and summer in
the Northeast Pacific come to us from New Zealand and NOT South America.
Most of those South American birds appear to winter in the Humbolt off
western South America north to the Equator with only a slight minority
actually crossing the tropics into the colder waters along the North American
west coast.

There is absolute zero chance of doubt or error! This was a GREATER
SHEARWATER, period! The bird was seen flying from north to south before the
bow at about 250 to 300 meters. All eyes were focused on it as it was fully
illuminated by bright mid afternoon sun which was dead astern.
Unfortunately, no photos or chance of such as we were engaged in a survey
transect line which we couldn't break, and besides the bird came up so
suddenly then was gone, we probably couldn't have chased it down anyway.
Total viewing time was maybe 15 seconds from the time of detection until it
was far away and vanishing off to the south and southeast.

At this writing, I'm not absolutely certain of the how many previous records
or even if there have been any fully accepted ones for the Greater Shearwater
in the North Pacific. I think there is at least one previous sighting
report, one from Monterey, California about 20 years ago, but from where I'm
at the moment (Missouri) I have no reference whatsoever to access.

This current Washington / British Columbia Greater Shearwater event may prove
to be 'bad news' for Washington. The bird *was* in Canadian (British
Columbia) waters by definition of the established political boundary called
the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). It would have been fun (for the sake of
the list) to have chased it into genuine Washington waters, but after all, we
were doing 'science' out there and had to stick to those objectives. So what
shall we do about this? I'd suggest mutually sharing this significant
international pelagic event record. After all, it was in latitudinal waters
well 'south of 49', *AND* off Washington despite being nearer to but 'south'
of Canada's Vancouver Island. So, short of launching a boundary dispute and
seabird war and attacking the sovereignty of Canada, an amiable agreement
over the deposition of this bird event might be in order.

You just knew that just this sort of thing was going to happen eventually --
a conflict in who (geographical region) actually gets credited for such a
record. This subject has been discussed before in this forum, and years ago
(and maybe still so) amongst the ABA but I don't recall whether a resolution
was ever achieved involving several real such event examples and scenarios
between such areas as New Jersey and Delaware and New Jersey and New York,
for example. Anyone up to speed on what the rulings are? This might be a
good and timely topic to reopen for some rational discussion, and especially
given the political offshore territorial boundary line drawn between the U.S..
and Canada, which essentially wipes out much of Washington's quality
potential to play the pelagic game. Bastards! :-))

No rest for the wicked.... So much for my 'decompression vacation' time in
Seattle between Piedras Blancas (California) gray whales and the next far
flung marine mammal / seabird research cruise Jul-Dec (Eastern Tropical
Pacific), this is being written during a few wee-hour free moments this week
and posted from Maryville, Missouri. No seabirds around here btw, but lots
of Upland Sandpipers, Dickcissels, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Blue
Jays, Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Brown Thrashers,
etc. etc... :-))

****************************************************
Richard Rowlett (Pterodroma at aol.com)
47.59N, 122.13W
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA, USA

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what
nobody has thought" --Albert Szent-Gyorgi (1893-1986).
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