This image shows the fins of several gray whales above the surface of the water

Recent Sightings


  • THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025

    Today was sunny, breezy, with good visibility,

    At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:

    🌀 NO WHALES WERE SEEN

    🌀 59 harbor seals, including 9 pups

    🌀 25 brown pelicans flying north

    💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠

    GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE (since November 1, 2024) 🟰

    🔺 348 northbound – including three mother/calf pairs

    🔺 391 southbound

    💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠


  • MONDAY, MAY 5, 2025

    Today we had sunny skies with an offshore marine layer which reduced visibity to approximately 3 miles. Wind was 15 mph north northwest with 25 mph gusts.

    🔅🔅NO WHALES SEEN AT POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA OR AT SAUNDERS REEF🔅🔅

    AT PAL:

    ❇️ 72 harbor seals – including 9 pups; 1 with fetal folds

    ❇️ 1 osprey

    ❇️ 1 Caspian tern flying north

    ❇️ 2 black oystercatchers

    ❇️ 37 brown pelicans flying north

    AT SAUNDERS REEF:

    ❇️ 1 red-tailed hawk

    ❇️ 5 pelicans flying north

    🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶

    GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE: (since November 1, 2024) 🟰

    348 northbound – includes 3 mother/calf pairs

    391 southbound

    🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶🟦🔶



  • FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2025

    Today was sunny and clear but quite windy and whitecaps were plentiful.

    Observations from Gerstle Cove:

    🔷 2 northbound gray whales – singles

    🔷 19 harbor seals

    🔷 20 brown pelicans flying north, 1 flying south

    🔷 2 black oystercatchers

    🔷 1 garter snake

    🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆

    GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE: (since November 1, 2024) =

    🐋 348 northbound – includes 3 mother/calf pairs

    🐋 391 southbound

    🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆💠💠🔆


  • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2025

    On this sunny day with a light wind, we did have some offshore fog and a marine layer that approached the shore and then receded throughout the day.

    Observations from the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:

    ♦️ 1 gray whale mother/calf pair

    ♦️ 51 harbor seals – including 8 pups

    ♦️ 1 sea lion swimming north

    ♦️ 1 red-tailed hawk

    ♦️ 1 osprey

    ♦️ 18 brown pelicans flying north

    🔶 NO WHALES SEEN AT SAUNDERS REEF

    FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF GUALALA POINT, SHARI GOFORTH OBSERVED:

    ♦️ 1 gray whale mother/calf pair – the calf breached three to four times

    ♦️ 2 northbound grays

    🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹

    TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE: (since November 1, 2024) 🟰

    ✳️ 346 northbound – includes three mother/calf pairs

    ✳️ 391 southbound

    🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹🔶🔹