Friday, March 24th, 2023

Clear and sunny with 3-5 mph winds, 57 degrees.

Late in the afternoon wind picked up 18-20mph with gusts up to 25+mph which creates what is called upwellling. It is a critical action the wind provides to move the warmer upper layer of the ocean away, allowing the cold nutrient dense water below to come to the top and support the ecosystem to be fertile with increased productivity. A productive ecosystem generates an abundance of diverse sea life. Phytoplankton feeds on the nutrients to support the zooplankton and fish that feed in the kelp and the sea lions and dolphins who eat the fish. Shore birds and sea birds also depend on this cycle of life. The whales that stop by Point Dume have been observed feeding.

Two pairs of whales in close and three solo sightings. One whale had visible sand spewing out of its mouth indicating feeding behaviors. One whale in the surf line skimmed the surface with its head and eyes above the water, another way to feed opportunistically which can not be confirmed today but it is possible.

The head of the gray whale is the rostrum and includes the area from the tip of the nose or snout to the blow holes and includes the upper jaw. The rostrum can be up to six feet long in an adult full grown whale. Another whale changed directions several times in the surf and came up with sand spewing out of the mouth during quick head lifts indicating feeding behavior.

A solo whale in the surf facing land with its footprint behind. The fluke which can be up to 10 feet across downward thrust for movement creates a force that leaves a flat clear circular area on the surface of the ocean and is another way to spot whales.

Bubble blasts are round rings with white frothy or bubbly edges created when a whale exhales under the water. The exhale forces trapped air bubbles under the water to rise to the surface dissipating which creates a raised edge with a center of cloudy water that becomes clearer as the air bubbles come to the surface . A frothier ring is a fresher one and a flat clear centered one has been on the surface longer helping to predict where the whale may surface next. Be on the look out for these rings to help locate gray whales.

Strong gusty wind 18-20mph with 25+mph gusts blowing sand, increase white caps and choppy surf making spotting the whales much more difficult. The strong gusty winds are a west coast oceanic  phenomenon ensuring the health of the ocean via upwelling.

A fast moving cargo ship at horizon leaving a visible wake.