Author: tmercer

It was a cloudy day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula but some sunshine did break through later in the day. The ocean was calm and there was a layer of haze offshore. 🔷 3 humpbacks – two moving slowly south together and one single traveling in a southwest direction 🔷 77 harbor seals –…

Our first hour this morning at Gerstle Cove was in the fog. Fortunately, , the fog did lift and eventually the clouds were replaced by sunshine. There was a slight breeze and the ocean was calm. ♦️ NO WHALES SEEN ♦️approximately 35 sea lions resting on a large rock and being quite vocal; an additional…

On this windy, sunny day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, there was a thick layer of offshore haze that limited our visibility to about 4 miles out. We received a report that a sub-adult female gray whale washed ashore at Virgin Creek beach on the north end of Fort Bragg.  Sarah Grimes, the stranding…

We had less wind today compared to yesterday but there was some offshore fog starting at about 4 miles out so we could not see all the way to the horizon. 🔷 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: ✅  1  gray foraging close to and around the rocks about 400 yards off shore; possibly a…

The wind blew today 14 mph with gusts of 19 mph out of the northwest. There was significant white caps on the ocean but it was sunny and clear. Visibility was very good. ♦️ AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🔷  1 gray whale mother and calf pair – the calf lifted its head above…

Another gray, cloudy day, with no wind, and an offshore layer of fog at about four miles out. There was no distinction between the very calm  ocean and the sky. ✳️ AT SAUNDERS REEF: 🔆 1 humpback – chin slammed twice 🔆 22 brown pelicans flying north ✳️  TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE  ⏩️…

Today was the annual WIND AND WHALE DAY at the Point Arena Lighthouse.  Unfortunately, there was not enough wind for the Berkley Wranglers to launch there amazing kites into the sky. Whales were also in short supply on this cloudy, gray day. 💠 1 gray whale mother/calf 💠 approximately 500 brown pelicans flying north and…

At Gerstle Cove today, the ocean was mostly calm with a few whitecaps and overall visibility was excellent. At about 12 noon, clouds rolled in and there was less distinction between the ocean and the sky. 💠 NO GRAY WHALES SEEN TODAY 💠 6 humpback whales – four singles and one pair 💠 8 sea…

Today’s windy conditions made spotting blows and tracking whales  a bit challenging. The ocean was covered with whitecaps but we did have a clear view all the way to the horizon. 🔆 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🔺 15 humpbacks – many breaches; some in groups of two 🔺 1 gray whale mother and…

We had excellent visibility today but the wind was blowing at 13 mph from the northwest with gusts of 18 mph.  Whale blows did not stay suspended very long but rather were blown down quickly. We received multiple reports from community members that humpbacks were being seen today from Fort Ross to Point Arena. ✳️…

Ideal ocean and weather conditions today at the Point Arena Lighthouse gave us the opportunity to spot blows easily and to observe whale backs, heads, and flukes. It truly was a whale observer’s dream day. 💠 12 humpback whales spanning throughout our observation area and ranging from 2-5 miles offshore; we watched a group of…

At the POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE peninsula, there was poor distinction between the ocean and the sky due to cloudy skies.  There was a significant amount of whitecaps on the ocean. 🔷 1 humpback 🔷 17 harbor seals at high tide – haul out sites underwater 🔷  9 brown pelicans flying north 🔷   4 black…