Recent Sightings

Along the Salal Trail at the Sea Ranch:

🔆 3 humpbacks – a duo and 1 single

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:

🔆 7 humpbacks – one group of 2 and 5 singles, one whale breached three times

🔆 87 harbor seals

🔆 23 brown pelicans flying north

AT SAUNDERS REEF:

🔆 2 humpbacks – a duo

🔆 35 brown pelicans flying north

🔶 SHARI GOFORTH reported seeing 6 humpbacks at Gualala Point North

🔶 KATE BLOCH alerted us to several whales seen out on the horizon north of Gualala Point Island in the morning and later in the afternoon, south of Gualala Point Island

An ideal day for observing whales with unlimited visibility, no wind, and very calm ocean.

AT SAUNDERS REEF, WE OBSERVED:

💠 5 humpback whales – 1 group of 2 and 3 singles

💠 3 brown pelicans flying south

✅ MEL SMITH alerted us to 9-10 humpbacks seen off the bell buoy in Point Arena
heading south

✅ SHARI GOFORTH reported seeing 6 humpbacks off Ollie’s straight which is south of Anchor Bay and north of downtown Gualala

✅ KATE BLOCH observed 2 humpbacks south of Gualala Point Island at the north end of the Sea Ranch and also 3 humpbacks off the Sea Ranch Lodge

Today was sunny but quite windy. The wind was blowing 23 mph from the north northwest with gusts up to 38 mph.

AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA, WE OBSERVED:

♦️ 6 humpbacks – all singles

♦️ 3 harbor seals swimming around their haul out site at high tide

♦️ 1 red-tailed hawk

♦️ 12 brown pelicans flying north

AT SAUNDERS REEF:

♦️ 8 humpbacks – 1 group of 3 and 5 singles

♦️ 5 pelicans flying south

Observations today at Gerstle cove in Salt Point State Park.
Choppy seas with at south southeast wind of 10 mph gusting up to 18 mph. Good visibility.

*️⃣ 13 humpbacks – one duo and ten singles seen at Gerstle Cove;
one seen on our drive home between Salt Point State Park and Stewart’s Point just 500 yards from shore

*️⃣ 5-7 harbor seals bottling and bobbing around the rocks at their haul out site at high tide

*️⃣ approximately 20-30 brown pelicans diving into the ocean to feed:
36 flying south

*️⃣ 1 Northern harrier

*️⃣ 1 red-tailed hawk

*️⃣ 1 Osprey diving for fish; on second attempt caught a small fish

🔺 Doug Forsell reported seeing 6 humpbacks from Iversen Point

🔺 Shari Goforth reported seeing 2 humpbacks, including one breach, at Gualala Point North

Ocean was calm, good visibility with patches of offshore haze.

At the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, we observed:

🔷 5 humpbacks – all singles

🔷 6 harbor seals swimming around their haul out sites at high tide

🔷 6 black oystercatchers

🔷 4 black turnstones

🔷 10 brown pelicans flying south and 3 flying north