Recent Sightings

The morning fog gave way to a gray, overcast day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula. Once the fog lifted, the wind began to blow strongly. Despite this, visibility was very good.

❇️ NO WHALES SEEN

❇️ 94 harbor seal – 15 moms with pups

❇️ 2 sea lions

❇️ 37 brown pelicans

🔷 NO WHALES SEEN AT SAUNDERS REEF

♦️ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ⤵️

  344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

  382 southbound

 18 foragers

After two days of very windy conditions , today began with significant fog.  The fog eventually did recede to offshore but it remained quite gray and cloudy at the Point  Arena Lighthouse. We did find sunnier conditions at Saunders Reef.  Visibility at both  sites was limited.

🔆 AT SAUNDERS REEF:

💠  NO WHALES SEEN

💠 6 brown pelicans flying north; 6 flying south; and 4 circling

💠 1 red-tailed hawk

💠 1 adult bald eagle

🔆 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:

💠 one unidentified whale swimming less than 1/2 mile offshore; spotted the whale’s blow once and then not seen again

💠 85 harbor seals – 7 pups

💠 1 osprey

💠 1 red-tailed hawk

💠 11 pelicans flying south

🔆 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE. 🟰

  344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

  382 southbound

 18 foragers

 

 

We had sunny but increasingly windy conditions today at beautiful Gerstle Cove. The wind was blowing at 15 mph with gusts of 23 mph from the northwest. This created an ocean covered in whitecaps.

✳️ 9 humpback whales – eight singles and one group of two

✳️ approximately 30 sea lions hauled out and several more below the rock in the ocean; some rafting

✳️ 11 harbor seals

✳️ 1 osprey

✳️ 2 black oystercatchers

✳️ 32 brown pelicans flying north; 1 flying south; 3 circling over the ocean

💠  TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE.

  344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

  382 southbound

 18 foragers

Cloudy conditions at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula. 3-5 foot waves and offshore haziness.

🔶 13 humpback whales –  three sets of two’s and seven singles- many breaches including two full breaches side by side and lots of tail lobbing

🔶 81 harbor seals – 11 moms and pups

🔶  12 sea lions

🔶 1 red-tailed hawk

🔶  1 osprey with a fish

🔶  1 great blue heron

✅  AT SAUNDERS REEF:

🔶  2 humpbacks – singles

✅  TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ⤵️

  344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

  382 southbound

 18 foragers

 

 

 

🟨 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:

🔳 13 humpbacks whales  – one group of three, two groups of two, six singles; one full breach

🔳 2 gray whales foraging

🔳 78 harbor seals – 10 moms with pups

🔳 1 great blue heron

🟨 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE. ↘️

🔵   344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

🔴   382 southbound

🟢  18 foragers