Recent Sightings

The wind blew today 14 mph with gusts of 19 mph out of the northwest. There was significant white caps on the ocean but it was sunny and clear. Visibility was very good.

♦️ AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:

🔷  1 gray whale mother and calf pair – the calf lifted its head above the surface once

🔷 16 humpbacks – many full breached, half breached, and tail lobbed  throughout the day

🔷 90 harbor seals – 8 pups

🔷 1 osprey

🔷 2 black oystercatchers

🔷 28 brown pelicans flying north

♦️ NO WHALES SEEN AT SAUNDERS REEF

♦️ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE 🟰

🔵   344 northbound – includes seven mother/calf pairs

🔴   382 southbound

🟢    12 foragers

Another gray, cloudy day, with no wind, and an offshore layer of fog at about four miles out. There was no distinction between the very calm  ocean and the sky.

✳️ AT SAUNDERS REEF:

🔆 1 humpback – chin slammed twice

🔆 22 brown pelicans flying north

✳️  TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ⏩️

🔵   342 northbound – includes 6 mother/calf pairs

🔴   382 southbound

🟢   12 foragers

 

Today was the annual WIND AND WHALE DAY at the Point Arena Lighthouse.  Unfortunately, there was not enough wind for the Berkley Wranglers to launch there amazing kites into the sky. Whales were also in short supply on this cloudy, gray day.

💠 1 gray whale mother/calf

💠 approximately 500 brown pelicans flying north and circling around the lighthouse

💠 2 sea lions swimming north

💠 seen by Shari Goforth: 1 sub-adult forager seen at the beach/sandbar at Gualala Point Regional Park first heading north, then turned around, then headed north again past the mouth of the Gualala River
also seen by Shari was a single gray heading north at Pacific Drive in Gualala

🟪 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE:

🔵    342 northbound – including 6 mother/calf pairs

🔴    382 southbound

🟢     12 foragers

 

 

 

At Gerstle Cove today, the ocean was mostly calm with a few whitecaps and overall visibility was excellent. At about 12 noon, clouds rolled in and there was less distinction between the ocean and the sky.

💠 NO GRAY WHALES SEEN TODAY

💠 6 humpback whales – four singles and one pair

💠 8 sea lions swimming north

💠 14 harbor seals – including three moms with pups

💠 1 osprey

💠 approximately 225 brown pelicans flying north- some diving into the ocean to feed, some drifting in the ocean

🌈 TOTAL GRAY WHALES  SEEN TO DATE  🟰

  339 northbound- includes 5 mother/calf pairs

  382 southbound

  11 foragers

 

Today’s windy conditions made spotting blows and tracking whales  a bit challenging. The ocean was covered with whitecaps but we did have a clear view all the way to the horizon.

🔆 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:

🔺 15 humpbacks – many breaches; some in groups of two

🔺 1 gray whale mother and calf – this pair stayed directly in front of us swimming together slowly for 25 minutes before continuing on their northbound journey; during this time; we observed the calf poop four times!

🔺 1 gray whale forging

🔺 1 sea lion swimming north

🔺 92 harbor seals – 6 mothers with pups

🔺 68 brown pelicans flying north

🔺 2 black oystercatchers

✳️✳️ early in the day we received a report from Mel Smith that he could see humpback whales near the Point Arena Pier bell buoy and many more could be seen way out to the horizon;   Mel estimated about 30 humpbacks were in the area

🔆 AT SAUNDERS REEF:

🔺 3 humpbacks

🔺 47 brown pelicans flying north

🔆 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE

🔵   339 northbound- includes 5 mother/calf pairs

🔴   382 southbound

🟢   11 foragers