Recent Sightings

Fair visibility today with a persistent wind and plentiful whitecaps.

♦️NO WHALES SEEN AT EITHER POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA OR AT SAUNDERS REEF♦️

AT PAL:

🔆 59 harbor seals including 4 pups

🔆 21 brown pelicans flying north

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

♦️ 329 northbound – includes one mother/calf pair seen on March 14th

♦️ 391 southbound

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On this sunny day, there was good distinction between the ocean and the sky. However,there were many whitecaps and some offshore haziness that did limit our visibility.

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:

🔆 NO WHALES WERE SEEN

🔆 43 harbor seals – including 3 pups

🔆 1 sea lion vocalizing while swimming south

🔆 1 osprey

🔆 2 black oystercatchers

🔆 21 brown pelicans flying north

🔆 12 cackling geese flying north

AT SAUNDERS REEF:

🔆 NO WHALES SEEN

🔆 1 red-tailed hawk

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

✅ 329 northbound – includes 1 mother/calf pair seen on March 14th

✅ 391 southbound

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While hiking along the bluff trail at the Sea Ranch, one foraging gray whale was seen. No migrating grays were seen today.

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

✅ 329 northbound – includes 1 mother/calf pair seen on March 14th

✅ 391 southbound

🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵

Today was Wind and Whale Celebration Day at the Point Arena Lighthouse. Unfortunately, there was no wind and therefore, the kites were unable to take flight. We spoke with many visitors today, young and old, about gray whales, their migration, the challenges they are facing, as well as many other types of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises).

♦️ No whales were seen.

♦️ 33 harbor seals which included one pup.

Here is a picture of the amazing kites flown at the Lighthouse by the Berkley Kite Wranglers in 2024.

Observations today were at Gerstle Cove in Salt Point State Park in northern Sonoma County. The ocean was very calm and visibility was good.

🔆 2 northbound gray whales – singles; backs and heads visible

🔆 1 minke whale first seen swimming south, then north, then continuing on south
may have been feeding in the area where groups of pelicans and gulls had
gathered less than 1/2 mile from shore

🔆 3 bottlenose dolphins swimming south

🔆 13 harbor seals

🔆 2 sea lions

🔆 3 osprey; two carrying a fish

🔆 4 black oystercatchers

🔆 95 brown pelicans

🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷

GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE: (since November 1, 2025) 🟰

✅ 329 northbound – includes 1 mother/calf pair seen on March 14th

✅ 391 southbound

🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷