Category: Daily Observations

Observations from Gerstle Cove with good visibility despite cloudy skies. No fog today!! 🔆 1 finback whale traveling south 🔆 1 foraging gray whale 🔆 5 – 6 sea lions swimming south 🔆 25 harbor seals 🔆 3 ospreys 🔆 152 brown pelicans 🔆 4 black oyster catchers

EXCELLENT PRESENTATION BY MARINE BIOLOGIST, BARBIE HALASKA WITH THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN CETACEAN SOCIETY:

18 gray whales, 1 pygmy sperm whale, 1 minke whale, 1 cuvier’s beaked whale 17 undetermined or no necropsy, 4 probable vessel strike May 31, 2025: gray whale, Montara State Beach; cause of death: undetermined, no necropsy performed May 29: gray whale, McNears Beach County Park, San Rafael; cause of death: undetermined, no necropsy performed…

Observations from the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula: ⚛️ 4 – 5 humpbacks; one breached once ⚛️ 36 harbor seals ⚛️ 102 brown pelicans flying north

OBSERVATIONS TODAY FROM GERSTLE COVE IN SALT POINT STATE PARK IN NORTHERN SONOMA COUNTY: The morning began with excellent visibility until fog rolled in and remained for approximately 90 minutes. When the fog disappeared, visibility was once again excellent and we could see to the horizon. The wind picked up throughout the day. 🔆 4…

California Academy of Sciences Confirms Six Dead Whales in San Francisco Bay Area this Week – Califo

AMERICAN CETACEAN SOCIETY Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA) ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project Update: The Gray Whale Census Project that takes place at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center ended their 41st season with a new record low southbound gray whale count (130), a new record low northbound count (485), a new record low southbound…

Federal public comment period opens on oil drilling in California coastal waters. “On April 30, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, announced a public-comment period open now through June 16 to receive input ‘in preparation of a National (Outer Continental Shelf — OCS) Oil and…

Observations today were from Gerstle Cove in Salt Point State Park in northern Sonoma County. We waited three hours for the fog to lift and when it did, we had excellent visibility to the horizon and the sea was calm. ✳️ 2 northbound gray whales – the first one reversed direction and headed southeast for…

Today was sunny, breezy, with good visibility, At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula: 🌀 NO WHALES WERE SEEN 🌀 59 harbor seals, including 9 pups 🌀 25 brown pelicans flying north 💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠 GRAY WHALES SEEN TO DATE (since November 1, 2024) 🟰 🔺 348 northbound – including three mother/calf pairs 🔺 391 southbound 💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠🔆💠

Today we had sunny skies with an offshore marine layer which reduced visibity to approximately 3 miles. Wind was 15 mph north northwest with 25 mph gusts. 🔅🔅NO WHALES SEEN AT POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA OR AT SAUNDERS REEF🔅🔅 AT PAL: ❇️ 72 harbor seals – including 9 pups; 1 with fetal folds ❇️ 1…