Category: Daily Observations

Although the day started out quite sunny, out on the peninsula it became and stayed cloudy with offshore fog and eventually, misty. The wind also increased and there were many whitecaps.  Blows were low and bushy and disappeared quickly along the surface of the ocean. 🔆 AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA : ❇️ 8…

We had ideal conditions today with a calm ocean and a clear view all the way to the horizon. ♦️AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🔷 17 northbound gray whales- six singles, two deuces, one trio, and one group of four 🔷 1 foraging sub-adult gray whale swimming north and south within 500 yards of…

Today began cloudy but sunshine prevailed for approximately two hours in the afternoon. This created excellent distinction between the sky and the ocean and whale blows stayed suspended and were easy to spot and to track. The ocean was calm and there was no wind or whitecaps. Unfortunately, the clouds returned and our observation area…

It was a cloudy, hazy day and a calm ocean. The sky and the ocean were both gray today making blows difficult to detect. ✅ AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA : 💠 4 northbound gray whales – two singles and one deuce 💠 55 harbor seals 💠 2 American kestrels 💠 2 black oystercatchers…

Observations today were at Gerstle  Cove in Salt Point State Park on an absolutely gorgeous day. It was sunny, a light breeze, calm ocean,  some haziness on the horizon, but overall excellent visibility. WE OBSERVED: 🔷 9 northbound gray whales – three singles and three sets of two; these whales ranged from one quarter mile…

Today presented us with ideal observation conditions.  It was sunny, no wind, calm ocean, excellent distinction between the sky and the ocean.  We had visibility all the way to the horizon although as the day progressed, some offshore fog began to appear way offshore. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: ♦️ 14 northbound gray whales…

After the torrential rains of yesterday, fog moved in today reducing visibility along our coast. AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA: 🟣 NO WHALES  SEEN 🟣 87 harbor seals 🟣 1 American kestrel We relocated to Saunders Reef where the fog had retreated closer to the horizon: 🔵 5 northbound gray whales – a loose…

After a very rainy, windy weekend that did not allow for observations, we did get out to Lighthouse Road on the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula to look for whales. It remained quite windy at 13 miles per hour with gusts of 26 miles per hour from the south southeast. The sky was cloudy and the…

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;…