Recent Sightings

With winds at 17 mph and gusts of 26 mph, visibility at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula was poor. The surface of the ocean was covered with whitecaps and wind blown spray.

* NO WHALES SEEN

GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE (as of November 1, 2024) =

🔆 37 northbound

🔆 391 southbound

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* 56 harbor seals

* 1 American kestrel

* 2 black oystercatchers

* 1 great blue heron

* two flocks of northbound cackling geese – one flock of 50-60 geese, the second one of approximately 40 geese

We had a persistent 15 mph wind with gusts of 25 mph. Although the day was sunny and visibility was good, there were many whitecaps on the ocean. Most blows stayed quite low on the surface of the water. In the afternoon, a front came through brining some light rain.

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula we observed:

* 10 northbound gray whales

GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE (as of November 1, 2024) =

🔆 37 northbound

🔆 391 southbound

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* 4 harbor porpoise swimming north – please see below for some information from NOAA FISHERIES

* 32 harbor seals

* 4 black oystercatchers

* 2 red-tailed hawks

* 1 American kestrel

* 2 flocks of northbound cackling geese

✳️ Quick Facts about harbor porpoises ✳️ from NOAA FISHERIES

WEIGHT
135 to 170 pounds
LENGTH
5 to 5.5 feet
LIFESPAN
About 24 years
THREATS
Entanglement, Ocean noise
REGION
Alaska, New England/Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, West Coast

✳️ Appearance ✳️ From NOAA FISHERIES
Harbor porpoises have a small, robust body with a short, blunt beak and a medium-sized triangular dorsal fin. Their back is dark gray fading to lighter intermediate shades of gray on their sides. Their belly and throat are white, with a dark gray chin patch.

On this cloudy day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, we observed:

* 1 southbound gray whale

* 5 northbound gray whales – 3 singles and one set of two

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

🔆 27 northbound

🔆 391 southbound

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* 43 harbor seals

* 2 great blue herons

* 2 American kestrels

* 1 red-tailed hawk

* 8 flocks of northbound cackling geese – 4 of these flocks consisted of 500+ birds

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, we encountered several squalls passing though with rain and increased wind, and the ocean was covered with whitecaps. Blows were batted down quickly.

We observed:

* 4 northbound gray whales – all singles

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

🔆 22 northbound

🔆 390 southbound

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* 54 harbor seals

* 2 American kestrels

* 1 red-tailed hawk

* 1 great blue heron

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, it was hazy and there were big waves, approximately 10-12 feet, and swells. Blows were batted down quickly.

We observed:

* 3 northbound gray whales – one single and one set of two

* 1 gray whale forager

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

🔆 18 northbound

🔆 390 southbound

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* 15 harbor seals

* 1 great blue heron

* 2 American kestrel

* 2 black oystercatchers