Recent Sightings

Although the day started out quite sunny, out on the peninsula it became and stayed cloudy with offshore fog and eventually, misty. The wind also increased and there were many whitecaps.  Blows were low and bushy and disappeared quickly along the surface of the ocean.

🔆 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA :

❇️ 8 northbound gray whales – two sets of twos and four singles; one member of the first pair we saw breached twice

❇️ 1 gray whale foraging

❇️ 61 harbor seals

❇️ 2 American kestrels

❇️ 18 brown pelicans flying north

❇️ 6 black oystercatcher

🔆 AT SAUNDERS REEF: conditions slightly better than at PAL but deteriorating

❇️ 2 northbound gray whales – a deuce

🔆 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE:

🔵   108 northbound          🔴   382 southbound          🟢  2 foragers

 

We had ideal conditions today with a calm ocean and a clear view all the way to the horizon.

♦️AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:

🔷 17 northbound gray whales- six singles, two deuces, one trio, and one group of four

🔷 1 foraging sub-adult gray whale swimming north and south within 500 yards of shore

🔷 67 harbor seals

🔷 4 American kestrels

🔷 1 great blue heron

🔷 1 Ferruginous hawk

🔷 4 black oystercatchers

🔷 5 brown pelicans flying north

♦️ AT SAUNDERS REEF:

🔷 1 northbound gray whale

♦️ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE. ▶️

🔵   98 northbound          🔴   382 southbound          🟢   1 forager

Today began cloudy but sunshine prevailed for approximately two hours in the afternoon. This created excellent distinction between the sky and the ocean and whale blows stayed suspended and were easy to spot and to track. The ocean was calm and there was no wind or whitecaps. Unfortunately, the clouds returned and our observation area became monochromatic once again.

 

☸️ AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:

🔆 13 northbound gray whales – seven singles, one deuce, and a group of four displaying courtship behavior for over two hours as they slowly drifted to the north; rolling, flippers, flukes visible

🔆 83 harbor seals

🔆 3 black oystercatchers

🔆 3 American kestrels

🔆 1 brown pelican flying north

🔆 1 bobcat

☸️ AT SAUNDERS REEF:

🔆 2 northbound gray whales – a deuce

🔆 1 red-tailed hawk

☸️ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE ➡️

🔵  80 northbound          🔴   382 southbound

It was a cloudy, hazy day and a calm ocean. The sky and the ocean were both gray today making blows difficult to detect.

✅ AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA :

💠 4 northbound gray whales – two singles and one deuce

💠 55 harbor seals

💠 2 American kestrels

💠 2 black oystercatchers

💠 1 great blue heron

💠 1 Ferruginous hawk

✅ AT SAUNDERS REEF:

💠 3 northbound gray whales – one single and one deuce

✅ AT OLLIE’s FLAT:

💠 Shari Goforth spotted 4 northbound gray whales first seen passing Gualala Point

✅ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  🟰

🔵  65 northbound           🔴   382 southbound

 

 

Observations today were at Gerstle  Cove in Salt Point State Park on an absolutely gorgeous day. It was sunny, a light breeze, calm ocean,  some haziness on the horizon, but overall excellent visibility.

WE OBSERVED:

🔷 9 northbound gray whales – three singles and three sets of two; these whales ranged from one quarter mile to 3 miles off shore; one whale in our last pair breached three times

🔷 26 harbor seals

🔷 1 sea lion

🔷 3 black oystercatchers

🔷 2 American kestrels

🔷 1 Northern harrier

🔶 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  🔀

🔵   54 northbound         🔴   382 southbound