Author: tmercer

We welcomed a sunny, mostly clear day today after two days of rain and wind. Our visibility was quite good. The ocean was rough with large swells and whitecaps. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🔆 8 southbound gray whales – all singles; ranging from 3/4 miles to 2 1/2 miles out; at times, up…

We wish everyone a very happy, healthy, and peaceful new year. In 2026, may we make continued progress to understand, protect, appreciate, and respect all living things on earth. Today was cloudy, gray, and quite windy. The wind speed was 17 mph out of the south southeast with gusts to 29 mph. The ocean was…

Today was cloudy with intermittent rain showers throughout the day. There was offshore fog as well. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA : 🟣 8 southbound gray whales – one trio, one deuce, and three singles 🟣 74 harbor seals 🟣 3 American kestrels 🟣 4 black oystercatchers 🟣 42 brown pelicans flying north 🟢…

The ocean was flat calm today but there was considerable cloudiness and offshore haziness way out on the horizon. The sunlight was quite filtered as it shone through the clouds. Due to this odd lighting, we often spotted whales initially by locating their backs and heads as they came to the surface to breathe. AT…

Another IDEAL day for observing whales!! Ocean was calm, no wind, visibility clear to the horizon. AT SAUNDERS FEEF: 💠 2 southbound gray whales – these were a pair swimming together about 3/4 mile offshore ♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️♒️ AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 💠 5 southbound gray whales – 3 singles and one deuce; the two…

The ocean was flat calm today, there was little to no wind, it was sunny, and we had a clear view to the horizon. Conditions were absolutely ideal for spotting whales. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA, WE OBSERVED: ✳️ 11 southbound gray whales – one trio, two duos and four singles; Several of the…

Today was quite windy; it was blowing 14 mph and gusting to 21 mph from the north northwest. This created whitecaps and spray. Visibility, however, was quite good. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🔆 1 unidentified large whale; unable to see any distinguishable markings or features due to the rough ocean conditions; species undetermined…

After a wicked storm on Tuesday night which knocked out power to several communities along the coast, today was surprisingly sunny and pleasant. The ocean was quite rough with huge swells, high surf, and whitecaps but visibility was good. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 💠 NO WHALES SEEN 💠 💠 7 harbor seals –…

After being sidelined for three full days due to rain and fog, we had good ocean and weather conditions today for most of the day. The ocean was a bit choppy but visibility was quite good. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA, WE OBSERVED: ✴️ 3 humpbacks – singles about 2-3 miles offshore; taking long…

Lighthouse Lecture Series – Doug Forsell Event 12/20/2025 The Lighthouse Lecture Series welcomes Doug Forsell, presenting “Birds and Mammals of the Eastern Aleutian Islands and Why Tufted Puffins are the coolest Seabird” on Saturday, December 20, at 4 p.m. Doug Forsell spent the summers of 1980 and 1981 working as part of a team of…

Today we had a cloudy day with offshore fog that threatened to roll in closer to shore but did stay a good distance out. The sea was choppy and rough. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA, WE OBSERVED: 🟣 2 southbound gray whales swimming together approximately 1/2 mile off shore – backs visible, flukes also…

Observations today at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula where it was clear, sunny, a bit windy, and excellent visibility. 🔆🔻 NO WHALES SEEN 🔆🔻 🔆 105 harbor seals 🔆 2 American kestrels 🔆 1 great blue heron 🔆 1 Northern harrier 🔷🔷 SOUTHBOUND GRAY WHALES TO DATE = 2