Recent Sightings

The day at Gerstle Cove began cloudy and gray but by mid morning, we had abundant sunshine and excellent distinction between sea and sky. We had unlimited visibility all the way to the horizon.

We observed:

💠 18-22 humpbacks, many breaching and lunge feeding between 2 and 5 miles offshore
2 humpbacks, approximately 100 yards apart, breached 6 times simultaneously

💠 18 harbor seals

💠 1 sea lion

💠 2 great blue heron

💠 1 American kestrel

💠 dozens of brown pelicans flying south as well as north and many diving into the ocean to feed

🔶🔶 Later in the day, we received a report from Richard Charter in Bodega Bay
that he was seeing large numbers of humpback whales from
Duncan’s Landing / Wrights Beach. The whales there were also breaching and
lunge feeding

Quite an amazing day for seeing whales!!

Today we had intermittent fog that greatly reduced our visibility.  However, we did observe three feeding humpback whales less than one mile from shore at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula.

We also counted 18 harbor seals.

Hazy on the horizon but good visibility overall.  Some whitecaps and slight wind.

AT SAUNDERS REEF WE OBSERVED:

🔶 9 humpbacks – two breaches

🔶 1 sea lion swimming north

🔶 7 brown pelicans

AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA WE OBSERVED :

🔶 3 humpbacks – two traveling north together, one single

🔶 5 harbor seals – high tide

🔶 1 northern harrier

🔶 14 brown pelicans

Slightly hazy on the horizon today. A bit more windy than previous days and some whitecaps have developed.

AT THE POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA WE OBSERVED:

♦️ 12 humpbacks – many breaching, chin slamming, flukes and back visible

♦️ 12 harbor seals – high tide

♦️ 2 black oystercatchers

♦️ 35 brown pelicans

AT SAUNDERS REEF  WE OBSERVED:

♦️ 1 humpback

On this absolutely gorgeous summer day, we observed at Gerstle Cove in Salt Point State Park.  Calm ocean, gentle breeze, excellent visibility.

WE OBSERVED:

✳️ 15 humpback whales – many breaching

✳️ 2 minke whales swiftly swimming north

✳️ 8 harbor seals – at high tide

✳️ 1 Osprey with a fish

✳️ 1 northern pygmy owl

✳️ 1 white-tailed kite – hovering

✳️ 3 great blue herons in flight

✳️ 15-20 brown pelicans feeding, 55 flying south, 66 flying north

🔷 2 humpback whales seen in Point Arena, at least one was breaching multiple times, seen by Mel Smith

🔷 3 humpback whales seen off Ollies’s straight by Shari Goforth