Author: tmercer

We had a very welcomed break from the rain today. Under partly sunny and partly cloudy skies, the ocean was calm but as the wind increased throughout the day, so did the whitecaps. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE ARENA PENINSULA, WE OBSERVED: 💠 3 northbound gray whales 💠 3 southbound gray whales 💠 56 harbor…

Once again, we had variable weather conditions ranging from cloudy, to sunny, and  with intermittent rain showers throughout much of the day.  Waves were 10-12 feet and the surf was rough. Shari Goforth reported seeing 3 northbound gray whales. They were approximately 2-3 miles offshore and consisted of a deuce and a single about 500…

After a very stormy day yesterday, today was mostly cloudy with some breaks of sunshine. Wind speed increased throughout the day and reached 18 miles per hour with gust of 30 miles per hour from the northwest.  We were also delayed by a rain shower that blew in off the ocean. AT THE POINT ARENA…

We faced variable conditions at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula today. It was quite windy, cloudy, the ocean was covered in whitecaps, there was a great deal of spray from breaking waves, and offshore fog.  At times, a rain shower would occur but generally cleared up quickly. ♦️ 2 northbound gray whales – both singles;…

We met with challenging conditions today at Gerstle Cove in Salt Point State Park.  The ocean was covered with whitecaps and the wind was blowing 15 miles per hour with gusts of 20 miles per hour out of the northwest.  Both the wind and the whitecaps increased throughout the day. ✳️ NO WHALES SEEN 🟧…

Today we had sunny conditions with excellent visibility.  The ocean was a bit choppy due to some wind and there were numerous small whitecaps. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA WW OBSERVED: 💠 2 southbound gray whales – both singles 💠 2 northbound gray whales traveling as a pair 🔺🔶 TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO…

After a rainy morning, the afternoon remained cloudy but visibility was quite good at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula.  We did have some light rain showers to contend with but they passed quickly. The ocean was calm and wind was not a factor. 🔆 3 southbound gray whales – one pair and one single traveling…

On this windy day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, we encountered challenging conditions for spotting blows. The wind was blowing 10 mph and gusting to 15 mph out of the north northwest.  The ocean was covered in whitecaps but visibility was quite good. ♦️ 1 northbound gray whale – we tracked this whale for…

We had a mixture of clouds and sun today at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula.  Visibility varied from quite good to limited due to offshore haziness. Large waves were breaking on the rocks creating spray and for most of the day, there was little distinction between the sky and the ocean.  There was little to…

Observations today were from Gerstle Cove in Salt Point State Park. Visibility was excellent on this sunny day.  There were small whitecaps on the ocean and large breakers. ❇️ NO WHALES SEEN TODAY ❇️ 🟣🟡 TOTAL WHALES SEEN TO DATE = 370 southbound 🟡🟣 ❇️ 3 harbor seals at high tide ❇️ 1 red-tailed hawk…

On this beautiful, warm, sunny day, we had excellent visibility at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula.  There was little to no wind and blows remained suspended in the air making whales easy to spot and to track. 🔷 4 southbound gray whales – one pair and two singles; backs and flukes often visible 💠🔶 TOTAL…

On this sunny day at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, there was offshore fog and large swells that created haziness. ☑️ 2 southbound gray whales – traveling in tandem 🟪☑️ TOTAL GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE 🟰 366 southbound ☑️🟪 ☑️ 55 harbor seals ☑️ 12 brown pelicans flying north ☑️ 3 hooded mergansers ☑️…