An aging breakwater on Vendovi Island supports public trail access and one of the Salish Sea’s most charismatic seabirds.
Pigeon Guillemot photo credit: Kurt Thorson
Among the first residents to greet visitors to the Preservation Trust’s Vendovi Island Preserve are Pigeon Guillemots, a tuxedo-black seabird with striking white wing patches and bright red feet. On Vendovi, their story is closely tied to the island’s aging breakwater which provides guillemots a place to raise their young.
While many seabirds are seasonal transients, Pigeon Guillemots are deeply rooted Salish Sea locals that remain in our region year-round. Because they depend entirely on local waters, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife tracks their populations as a “Vital Sign Indicator” for the health of the Puget Sound. When Pigeon Guillemots thrive, it suggests the complex marine ecosystems below the water’s surface are holding steady.
Our understanding of these birds has recently deepened through a collaboration with the Salish Sea Guillemot Network to conduct breeding surveys on Vendovi Island. Each week, Vendovi caretaker Thyatira Thompson steps into the role of community scientist, documenting guillemot activity and searching for a telltale sign of nesting activity: adult birds carrying fish back to their breakwater nests. University of Washington researchers are also planning to deploy audio recording units to capture guillemot vocalizations, a project aimed at mapping their daily rhythms and tracking precisely when they arrive and depart each breeding season.
Yet, all of this guillemot nesting activity relies on a structure that is structurally compromised. Decades of battering by rough seas have left the Vendovi Island breakwater due for major repairs. The structure’s decay threatens the nesting crevices the Pigeon Guillemots call home, as well as the island’s only dock, which serves as the gateway to three miles of hiking trails within the 217-acre preserve for more than 2,500 annual public visitors.
Aerial view of deteriorating Vendovi Island breakwater | Staff archive
How You Can Help:
The Preservation Trust is seeking to raise $374,000 in private contributions, which will help us fund the estimated $748,000 total cost of repair. Crews will begin restoration work this September.
Vendovi Island has been open to the public for 15 years. With your support, we can restore the breakwater to ensure the preserve remains accessible for decades to come.
