Okay, I know I haven't updated in a long while. I apologize!One of the most common questions from Earthwatchers when they first step off the plane is, 'where will we be working?' The answer: South Rookery.
South Rookery (or just South for short) is a quarter-mile stretch of rocky coastline on the southwest side of the island that plays host to thousands of fur seals each year. South is a special rookery in that it is possible to see the vast majority of animals with no intrusion whatsoever. Other rookeries tend to be too large and most of the animals tend to be hidden behind large boulders or at the base of 100 foot cliffs. To top it all off, South is easy to visit by way of a muddy trail that only takes 20 minutes to hike. Compare that to East Rookery where it can take near an hour!
South has been one of the most studied rookeries on St. George with research going back nearly 50-years. The most current work started in 2004 and focuses on fur seal population trends and human impact (i.e. marine debris).
As we speak large males, called beachmasters, have established territories on the beach and are fighting to hold their groups of females, called herums, intact as other males on the periphery try to break the peace. More to come on this in the following blog post.
First female arrived on June 12th this year!
Current numbers 6/30:Females: 623
Pups: 339
1 comments:
OK, OK, you have me beat. I didn't realize you had updated on the 13th... and seeing as my last update was in April, I can't talk. :) My goal is to write today or tomorrow, though, so I'm catching up!
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