Recent Sightings

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SALAL TRAIL ON THE NORTH END OF THE SEA RANCH, LOOKING TOWARD GUALALA POINT ISLAND:

The foggy conditions today created poor visibility. We were hoping to see the gray whales that have been seen at this location by Kate Bloch and Shari Goforth but we were not successful in finding them.

🟧 12-14 sea lions

🟧 2 harbor seals bottling

Observations from the Point Arena Lighthiuse peninsula:

🟣 NO WHALES SEEN

🟣 44 harbor seals

🟣 1 Osprey

🟣 1 great blue heron

🟣 2 black oystercatchers

🟣 49 brown pelicans

🟩 NO WHALES SEEN AT SAUNDERS REEF

Observations today from the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:

🔆 NO WHALES SEEN

🔆 76 harbor seals

🔆 1 great blue heron

🔆 1 black oystercatcher

🔆 4 brown pelicans flying north

Observations from Saunders Reef:

🔆 NO WHALES SEEN

🔆 1 Osprey

🔆 23 brown pelicans flying north

🔺🔺 We are sad to report that on Friday evening, August 1st, a dead whale was seen floating off Sea Ranch south of Gualala Point Island. On Saturday, August 2nd, the whale became lodged in the rocks at Dune Drift Beach which is south of Walk On Beach at the Sea Ranch. 🔻🔻

The deceased whale is a female humpback, most likely a sub-adult. The sighting was reported to the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center.
Because the whale is not accessible, scientists were unable to perform a necropsy so the exact cause of death is unknown at this time and may remain unknown. Based on careful examine of photographs of the carcass, the whale may have been struck by a vessel.

Below are several photos that I took on Saturday, August 2nd:

✳️ ✳️ TWO GRAY WHALES SEEN TODAY AT GUALALA POINT ISLAND ON THE NORTH END OF SEA RANCH‼️ ✳️ ✳️

These two grays were brilliantly photographed by Kate Bloch. It is such a treat to see gray whales here at this time of the year and they were foraging for food for several hours at this location.
Shari Goforth also observed the grays foraging. They stayed for the next several days, through Monday, August 4th.

Below are several photos taken by Kate Bloch of these grays and we thank her for allowing us to share them here on our website.