Recent Sightings
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FINAL 2025-2026 COUNTS FOR GRAY WHALE CENSUS PROJECT AT THE POINT VICENTE INTERPRETIVE CENTER
GRAY WHALES TO DATE (since 1 Dec)
Southbound: 214
Northbound: 445
Cow/calves south: 17
Cow/calves north: 16
Total: 659
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MONDAY, MAY 25, 2026
Conditions today were cloudy, the ocean was fairly calm and visibility was very good.
🔶 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:
🔷 NO WHALES SEEN
🔷 97 harbor seals
🔷 1 sea lion
🔷 1 great blue heron
🔷 22 brown pelicans
🔶TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE ↙️
344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs
382 southbound
18 foragers -
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2026
On this breezy, partly sunny day, we had decent visibility to about 3 miles offshore.
💠 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA:
♦️ NO WHALES SEEN
♦️ 75 harbor seals
♦️ 17 brown pelicans
♦️ 3 black oystercatchers
💠 AT SAUNDERS REEF:
♦️ NO WHALES SEEN
REEF
TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE 🟰 344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs 382 southbound 18 foragers -
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026
Today we had a hazy, overcast sky. Poor visibility due to having no distinction between the ocean and the sky and whale blows.
❇️ AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA :
🔆 NO WHALES SEEN
🔆 53 harbor seals – incoming tide
🔆 1 osprey perched in a tree overlooking the ocean
🔆 23 brown pelicans
❇️ AT SAUNDERS REEF:
🔆 NO WHALES SEEN
🔆 8 brown pelicans
🔆 1 red-tailed hawk
❇️ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE
344 northbound – includes 7 mother/calf pairs 382 southbound 18 foragers -