Recent Sightings

Our first hour this morning at Gerstle Cove was in the fog. Fortunately, , the fog did lift and eventually the clouds were replaced by sunshine. There was a slight breeze and the ocean was calm.

♦️ NO WHALES SEEN

♦️approximately 35 sea lions resting on a large rock and being quite vocal; an additional ten to twelve sea lions were in the water just below the rock and they were rafting at times

♦️ 17 harbor seals – none were pups

♦️ 3-4 osprey – one caight a big juicy fish!  One was particularly vocal

♦️ 86 brown pelicans flying north and 1 flying south

🟨  TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE   ⤵️

🔵   344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

🔴   382 southbound

🟢   15 foragers

 

On this windy, sunny day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, there was a thick layer of offshore haze that limited our visibility to about 4 miles out.

We received a report that a sub-adult female gray whale washed ashore at Virgin Creek beach on the north end of Fort Bragg.  Sarah Grimes, the stranding coordinator at the Noyo Center for Marine Science, along with a team from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito and California Academy of Sciences were able to collect valuable data and perform a necropsy on this whale today. Hopefully, there will be much to learn about this gray whale and the cause of death will be identified.  I will report back when this information becomes available which may be several weeks.

♒️  AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 

💠 2 foraging gray whales – we suspect that one of these grays has been foraging along the peninsula for several days

💠  62 harbor seals – 4 moms and pups

💠 2 black oystercatchers

♒️  TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ⏬️

🔵   344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

🔴   382 southbound

🟢   15 foragers

 

 

 

We had less wind today compared to yesterday but there was some offshore fog starting at about 4 miles out so we could not see all the way to the horizon.

🔷 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:

✅  1  gray foraging close to and around the rocks about 400 yards off shore; possibly a second forager but we did not see any part of this whale’s body to identify the species

✅ estimate of 20 humpbacks – one breach, some in groups of threes and fours, many singles

most were actively and consistently feeding

✅ 96 harbor seals – 11 moms with pups

✅ 1 osprey

✅ 1 great blue heron hunting for prey on the rocks where the harbor seals haul out and the gulls gather

✅ 12 brown pelicans

✅ 2 black oyster catchers

🔷 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ↘️

🔵  344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs

🔴   382 southbound

🟢   13 foragers

 

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 7 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