Author: tmercer

The morning fog gave way to a gray, overcast day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula. Once the fog lifted, the wind began to blow strongly. Despite this, visibility was very good. ❇️ NO WHALES SEEN ❇️ 94 harbor seal – 15 moms with pups ❇️ 2 sea lions ❇️ 37 brown pelicans 🔷 NO…

After two days of very windy conditions , today began with significant fog.  The fog eventually did recede to offshore but it remained quite gray and cloudy at the Point  Arena Lighthouse. We did find sunnier conditions at Saunders Reef.  Visibility at both  sites was limited. 🔆 AT SAUNDERS REEF: 💠  NO WHALES SEEN 💠…

We had sunny but increasingly windy conditions today at beautiful Gerstle Cove. The wind was blowing at 15 mph with gusts of 23 mph from the northwest. This created an ocean covered in whitecaps. ✳️ 9 humpback whales – eight singles and one group of two ✳️ approximately 30 sea lions hauled out and several…

Cloudy conditions at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula. 3-5 foot waves and offshore haziness. 🔶 13 humpback whales –  three sets of two’s and seven singles- many breaches including two full breaches side by side and lots of tail lobbing 🔶 81 harbor seals – 11 moms and pups 🔶  12 sea lions 🔶 1…

🟨 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🔳 13 humpbacks whales  – one group of three, two groups of two, six singles; one full breach 🔳 2 gray whales foraging 🔳 78 harbor seals – 10 moms with pups 🔳 1 great blue heron 🟨 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE. ↘️ 🔵   344…

Clouds prevailed but there was some filtered sunshine upon the calm ocean today. Overall visibility was good although we had limited distinction between the sky, the ocean, and whale blows.  There were about 25 fishing boats spread out throughout our observation area. 🔆 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🔷 3 humpbacks – a deuce…

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  ⏩️…