Recent Sightings

Today we headed south to observe at Gerstle Cove which is part of Salt Point State Park.

* no whales seen

   * no harbor seals seen as it was high tide and heavy surf covered the haul out site

  * 4 black oystercatchers

  * 4 black turnstones

  * 1 red-tailed hawk

  * 1 white-tailed kite

Thick fog blew in today reducing visibility to zero for most of the day. Waves were 8-10 feet.

AT PAL:

* no whales or harbor seals seen

* 1 red-tailed hawk

* 1 great blue heron

* 4 American kestrels

 * 2 black oystercatchers

Observations from the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:

* 2 humpbacks, one approximately 5 miles out, one  about 2 miles out

* 89 harbor seals

* 2 red-tailed hawks

* 1 Great blue heron

* 2 black oystercatchers

* 3 American kestrels

No whales seen at Saunders Reef.

After three days of heavy rain, wind, and extremely rough ocean conditions, we were able to observe today at both the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula and Saunders Reef.

No whales were seen at either site.

At PAL:

* 69 harbor seals

* 2 Great blue herons

* 3 American kestrels

* 1 bobcat sitting in the field

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, we observed a foraging gray whale less than 500 yards from shore for approximately 90 minutes. He or she stayed primarily in the same area for this time and then  began to swim southward while remaining that close to shore.

Also seen at PAL:

* 89 harbor seals

* 1 great blue heron who snatched a gopher for lunch

* 2 red-tailed hawks

* 2 American kestrels

* 3 black oystercatchers

* 1 bobcat in the field carrying a gopher

 NO WHALES SEEN AT SAUNDERS REEF