Partly sunny, high stratus cloud layer, 64 degrees with calm seas and clear views. Wind 0-1 mph picked up mid afternoon 5-7mph. One trio of Gray Whales migrated north 2+ miles off shore. Two other solo gray whales were seen by ***REW earlier today in separate sightings. Late afternoon, with the low tide, thousands and thousands of By-The-Wind-Sailors washed onshore.

Unusually low flyover the bluff and along the coast of Point Dume State Beach by an Emirates 8380 airbus plane on the way to Dubai.

Shortly after, another low flyby of a south bound Icon A5 sea plane passed the point with less than 100 feet of altitude. The Icon A5 is a lightweight sport, adventure aircraft with high maneuverability including the ability to land or take off from the water. The aircraft is designed to be easily transported on land with s simple trailer you can attach to a truck and pulled to the marina and then floats inside a dock which is attached and pulled behind a yacht. Check out the details for the Icon A5 here.

The wind picked up with the low tide today, 10-12 mph with 15+mph gusts dropping temperature to 58 degrees and within an hour thousands and thousands of Velella Velella or Sailors-by-the-wind washed onshore. The blue jellyfish like creatures are actually a type of Hydrozoa, a tiny colony of individual animals. They are not true jellyfish. They are pelagic or open ocean creatures and live off shore. At sea, they feed on zooplankton (fish eggs and crustacean larvae) or small fish. They have a clear sail that attaches to the blueish purple oval shaped ring with tentacles or nematocysts hanging down that sting their prey. Predators include mola mola (sunfish), sea turtles and sea snails. Locally, sea gulls and egrets were seen spitting them out. Caution is advised with handling or touching as they do have stingers that can cause itching or a rash in sensitive individuals but they are not considered dangerous to humans.

Sunset behind a thick marine layer at the horizon.

Icon A5 southbound just after the sun set with a beautiful pink and lavender sky.

**** REW ( Reliable Eye Witness ) counts are not included in the daily or weekly tally: they are counted and kept separately as a record of the whales observed at Point Dume. The REW counts are extremely helpful and provide important data to keep track of the seasonal and daily changes of the migration. The total gray whale population has declined 38% due to the ongoing UME (Unusual Mortality Event) from 2019-2023.