13 North Bound 0 South Bound 0 EW
Gusty 25+MPH winds on this chilly 62 degree sunny day. Large white caps from shore to the horizon making it difficult to spot and track the gray whales. Sand blowing and accumulating in the parking lots like snow in a storm. Still the whales migrated and were seen in 6 sightings.
A fast moving trio turned into a pod of 5 whales, as a pair snuck in and caught up. Dorsal humps and heads poking out between the waves. A pair of military helicopters helped to spot a single whale as the helicopters circled back a few times to take a look from over head. One large adult was traveling with a smaller juvenile or yearling with pointy, deeply notched knuckles poking out from the rough surf, most likely underweight. The pair made their way around Pirates Cove zig zagging in the rough surf for 30 minutes.
The wind died down to 1-3 mph before sunset as a huge set of dark clouds rolled in from north west over the Santa Monica Mountains heading south. Rain spouts were seen at the horizon, over the Channel Islands and over the Leo Carillo State Park as the storm moved through eventually hitting Point Dume well after sunset with drizzle.
Rough surging waves crash over the Pinnacles closest to shore that are also known as Sea Lion Rock. Typically a couple Sea Lions haul out with the goal of resting up top and can be heard barking when another sea lion tries to take over the spot.
Stephanie used a variety of healing crystals, bells and instruments, as Brad played and the photographer set up the shots.
Gray whale vocalizations are also low frequency at 40Hz- 4 kHz with up to 6 basic sounds mostly clicks or congo beats combined with groans in the lower ranges. All I can say 🙂 is on the other side of these rocks, two whales zig zagged in rough surf for 30 minutes, before migrating onward. Eventually the wind died down and another whale popped up in the still rough surf, when Brad and Stephanie moved to the other side of the rocks as they played directly to the ocean. Even though we know the whales migrate and stop at their own pace and choosing, it was a totally magical way to end the day: hearing the sound bath while watching the migrating gray whales, as a storm rolled through, definitely synchronicity at its best. 🙂
Spyhop Lane 