Recent Sightings

CONDITIONS TODAY WERE EXCELLENT! Blue skies, very little wind, calm ocean!

💠💠 Humpback activity was observed all along our coast today from the south end of the Sea Ranch to Hearn Gulch and Saunders Reef. 💠💠

OBSERVATIONS FROM COOK’S BEACH WHICH IS NORTH OF DOWNTOWN GUALALA AND SOUTH OF ANCHOR BAY (ACROSS FROM ST. ORRS):

💠 15-17 humpbacks – backs and flukes visible, some in groups of four feeding in the same area, others traveling north

💠 6 sea lions

💠 1 osprey

💠 18 brown pelicans

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SALAL TRAIL ON THE NORTH END OF THE SEA RANCH, LOOKING TOWARD GUALALA POINT ISLAND:

The foggy conditions today created poor visibility. We were hoping to see the gray whales that have been seen at this location by Kate Bloch and Shari Goforth but we were not successful in finding them.

🟧 12-14 sea lions

🟧 2 harbor seals bottling

Observations from the Point Arena Lighthiuse peninsula:

🟣 NO WHALES SEEN

🟣 44 harbor seals

🟣 1 Osprey

🟣 1 great blue heron

🟣 2 black oystercatchers

🟣 49 brown pelicans

🟩 NO WHALES SEEN AT SAUNDERS REEF

Observations today from the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula:

🔆 NO WHALES SEEN

🔆 76 harbor seals

🔆 1 great blue heron

🔆 1 black oystercatcher

🔆 4 brown pelicans flying north

Observations from Saunders Reef:

🔆 NO WHALES SEEN

🔆 1 Osprey

🔆 23 brown pelicans flying north

🔺🔺 We are sad to report that on Friday evening, August 1st, a dead whale was seen floating off Sea Ranch south of Gualala Point Island. On Saturday, August 2nd, the whale became lodged in the rocks at Dune Drift Beach which is south of Walk On Beach at the Sea Ranch. 🔻🔻

The deceased whale is a female humpback, most likely a sub-adult. The sighting was reported to the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center.
Because the whale is not accessible, scientists were unable to perform a necropsy so the exact cause of death is unknown at this time and may remain unknown. Based on careful examine of photographs of the carcass, the whale may have been struck by a vessel.

Below are several photos that I took on Saturday, August 2nd: