Tag Archives: Gray Whales

•

It's an exciting time of year when we see the first mother/calf pairs of Gray Whales. On Monday, several pairs were seen quite close in at Black Point Beach off The Sea Ranch. A friend called Craig Tooley and he got this great photo of a calf.

You can tell this a calf born earlier this year because of his or her stubby nose/mouth area and there are no barnacles yet! Of course the size compared to his/her mom is another clue.

Karen Wilkinson is the friend who called Craig and she got some incredible photos too. I hope to post some of hers soon.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

oh, today is such a lovely day. Warm - low 70's - and no wind.

•

Shari Goforth-Eby recently photographed two Gray Whales swimming very close together. She thought she might have a mother/calf pair.

Scott Mercer took a look at Shari's photo and determined these are two adults swimming unusually close together. Here is what a mother/calf pair looks like. The calf, with its stubby head, is partially breaching next to its mother. This photo was taken by Paul Brewer a few years ago.

Scott and Tree Mercer have seen four mother/calf pairs so far this past week. More are headed our way. This weekend could be the perfect time to see if you can spot a pair. A sighting of a mother and her calf is sure to warm your heart - guaranteed!

Thanks to Shari and Paul for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It's sunny, calm and beautiful on the Mendonoma Coast today!

•

The beginning of the northward migration back to the Arctic has begun. The first Grays to head north are the newly pregnant females. They are swimming hard and fast for their feeding grounds. Shari Goforth saw several Gray Whales the other day off the bluffs of the Point Arena Lighthouse. Despite the distance, Shari got several great photos. Here is the tail of one of the Grays she saw.

And here is a collage of the two Gray Whales she saw.

Thanks to Shari for allowing me to share her photos with you here. To read her blog posts, here is the link: https://mendonomagraywhale.com/migraytions-blog-home?blog=y

We had sprinkles late yesterday, nice to get a little wet on an afternoon walk with friends. Today is sunny and warm, in the low sixties. There is no wind and the ocean is glistening like a million diamonds in the afternoon sun.

•

The Gray Whale migration of mother/calf pairs is pretty much over. But a few weeks ago, Paul and Jacquie Brewer saw two sets of Gray Whale pairs swim past their Gualala home.

It's comforting to know the whales are swimming northward to their feeding grounds. We should be seeing other species of whales soon. We'll be looking for Humpbacks, Fin Whales and the largest of them all, Blue Whales in the days ahead. I did receive a sighting of several Orcas yesterday, Saturday. No photos, though.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

Early this morning the sound of raindrops woke me up - surprise! Not much, but a nice surprise. Then the clouds swept away, revealing a beautiful, warm spring day.

Spring doesn't know...

• 4 Comments

•

Scott and Tree Mercer, of the Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study, sit out on the bluffs near the Point Arena Lighthouse most days, looking for Gray Whales and other marine life. The beginning of the southward bound Gray Whale migration was late this year, which caused concern. But yesterday, and again today, Gray Whales are passing by in big numbers. Yesterday the Mercers spotted 63 Grays Whales, and today by 2:00 p.m. they have seen 42. Here's an aerial photo of three migrating Gray Whales taken by Craig Tooley several years ago.

Here's a panoramic view of the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands taken by Peggy Berryhill. It's a great place to whale watch!

Thanks to Craig and Peggy for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

You can follow the Mercer's daily posts on their Facebook page, which is: https://www.facebook.com/Mendonoma-Whale-and-Seal-Study-1421926098039236/

Quite cloudy today, temps in the low 50s. Rain coming late tomorrow.