Cloudy conditions today and for part of the time, the ocean, sky, and blows were all the same color. Thankfully, the sun re-emerged and visibility improved.
This morning I spotted a blow very close to shore at the Gualala Point Regional Park beach. We quickly notified Shari Goforth-Eby who was able to photograph this foraging whale. She discovered this whale was in fact Panther, the same two year old whale seen there on Thursday, January 23rd with 11 scars and a deep laceration most likely caused by a boat propeller. Interesting that this young whale is still foraging in the same area. We will continue to look for and monitor his presence and behaviors.
Observations from the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:
* 9 southbound gray whales – one group of three, two groups of two, and two singles
TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE = 341 southbound
* 41 harbor seals
* 1 white-tailed kite
* 2 great blue herons
* 2 American kestrels
* 1 Ferruginous hawk
* 1 Northern harrier
* 3 black oystercatchers
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