Recent Sightings

Today we had a mix of sun and clouds over a calm ocean. There was a light breeze and very good visibility.

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, we observed:

🟪 7 humpback whales – one group of two and five singles; one single breached four times;

all whales were between 2 and 4 miles offshore

🟪 27 harbor seals at high tide

🟪 2 black oystercatchers

🟪 13 black turnstones

🟪 2 American kestrels

🟪 1 great blue heron

🟪 1 red-tailed hawk

🟪 Dozens of brown pelicans mostly flying north and circling the Lighthouse; smaller size flocks flying south

Observing off Gualala Beach from behind the Surf Market we spotted one humpback whale slowly making his or her way south.

Hundreds of gulls and pelicans were resting on the beach, floating in the estuary, and taking frequent, short  flights over the ocean.

On this cloudy, overcast day at the Point Aren Lighthouse peninsula , the ocean was calm and there was a light breeze from the northwest. We had good visibility.

♦️ 2 humpback whales – singles

♦️ 23 harbor seals – out going high tide

♦️ 1 great blue heron

♦️ 1 red-tailed hawk

♦️ 2 American kestrels

♦️ 1 black oystercatcher

♦️ dozens of brown pelicans, mostly flying north and circling around the Lighthouse, some flying south; two large flocks passed over one another flying in opposite directions

We observed today at Vista Point which is at the north end of Irish Beach.   There was some offshore haziness that limited our visibility slightly.

🔷 3 humpback whales – two together and a third close by; no significant movement north or south

🔷 37 brown pelicans flying north

🔷 1 breaching humpback seen off Iversen Point just south of Hearn Gulch

Today, we spotted our first humpback whales while at Ignite Fitness, formerly the Physical  Gym in the  Cypress Village in Gualala. The excellent  visibility we had there was also at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula.

🔆 3 humpback whales – singles off Gualala Beach

🔆 1 humpback whale swimming north close to shore at PAL

🔆 8 harbor seals – high tide

🔆 2 great blue herons

🔆 2 American kestrels

🔆 3 black oystercatchers

🔆 4 black turnstones

✳️✳️✳️ Kate Block reported seeing several whales off Shell Beach on the Sea Ranch. She observed repeated breaching and pectoral fin slapping.