A few people have asked us here at The Northern Light for more information on the sizable ship that has been anchored in Birch Bay for the last day or so. After some digging, and much appreciated help from Washington State Department of Ecology spokesman Larry Altose, I've found out the vessel is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ship Rainier. According to the Rainier's website, the vessel is in the middle of surveying the Strait of Georgia in order to update NOAA's nautical charts for the area.