Recent Sightings

We had a very welcomed break from the rain today. Under partly sunny and partly cloudy skies, the ocean was calm but as the wind increased throughout the day, so did the whitecaps.

AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE ARENA PENINSULA, WE OBSERVED:

💠 3 northbound gray whales

💠 3 southbound gray whales

💠 56 harbor seals

💠 1 brown pelican circling the area

💠 4 black oystercatchers

💠 3 American kestrels

💠 1 bobcat

AT SAUNDERS REEF, WE OBSERVED:

💠 1 northbound gray whale

AT HEARN GULCH, Fred and Janet McElroy observed and photographed two northbound gray whales traveling together

🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷

TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE. =

🔵 18  northbound      🔴  372  southbound

 

Photo of two gray whale blows at Hearn Gulch taken by Janet McElroy

 

Once again, we had variable weather conditions ranging from cloudy, to sunny, and  with intermittent rain showers throughout much of the day.  Waves were 10-12 feet and the surf was rough.

Shari Goforth reported seeing 3 northbound gray whales. They were approximately 2-3 miles offshore and consisted of a deuce and a single about 500 yards behind the pair.

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, we observed:

🔶 2 northbound gray whales – a pair sometimes traveling very close to one another and other times seen further separated

🔶🔷 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE 🟰

🔵  12 northbound          🔴   379 southbound

🔶  63 harbor seals

🔶 1 great blue heron

🔶 1 Northern harrier

🔶 2 American kestrels

🔶 1 red-tailed hawk

🔶 1 hooded merganser

 

After a very stormy day yesterday, today was mostly cloudy with some breaks of sunshine. Wind speed increased throughout the day and reached 18 miles per hour with gust of 30 miles per hour from the northwest.  We were also delayed by a rain shower that blew in off the ocean.

AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA, WE OBSERVED:

🔅 2 northbound gray whales – both singles

✅ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  🟰

🔵  7 northbound             🔴  379 southbound

🔅 65 harbor seals

We faced variable conditions at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula today. It was quite windy, cloudy, the ocean was covered in whitecaps, there was a great deal of spray from breaking waves, and offshore fog.  At times, a rain shower would occur but generally cleared up quickly.

♦️ 2 northbound gray whales – both singles; round bushy blows that disappeared quickly; one fluked before diving; both were difficult to track for any great distance but certain each one was traveling north

💢 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ↪️

🔵   5 northbound          🔴  379 southbound

♦️ 35 harbor seals during an outgoing tide

♦️ 1 great blue heron foraging on the rocks at the seal haul out

♦️ 2 black oystercatchers

♦️ 2 brown pelicans flying north and 3 circling the area

We met with challenging conditions today at Gerstle Cove in Salt Point State Park.  The ocean was covered with whitecaps and the wind was blowing 15 miles per hour with gusts of 20 miles per hour out of the northwest.  Both the wind and the whitecaps increased throughout the day.

✳️ NO WHALES SEEN

🟧 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ➡️

🔵  3 northbound          🔴  379 southbound

✳️ 32 harbor seals

✳️ 3 American kestrels

✳️ 2 black oystercatchers

✳️ 8 brown pelicans flying south

✳️ 1 Northern harrier