0 North Bound 0 South Bound 3 hrs ***REW 1

February 19, 2024 Monday

Steady rain all night and into the morning followed by periods of light rain and drizzle in the afternoon. Driving was treacherous through the canyon roads with fallen rocks and mud slides. Hillside waterfalls pumped muddy water into the ocean from the runoff and catch basin drains creating streams that formed along the PCH. Rough choppy seas with muddy surging surf. Large tree limbs and stumps in the rough surf zone and local beaches are littered with trash and sticks. A handful of surfers out to catch waves. Low visibility and heavy marine layer remained most of the day. Sections of the Pacific Coast Highway near Thornhill Broome closed lanes due to storm erosion and highway collapse, other sections further south closed due to mud and or and slides. Caltrans advising drivers to stay off roads with potential for danger as rain continues.

Finding and tracking whales was difficult to impossible offshore but near shore in the surf zone had better visibility, yet no whales were observed during 3 hours on effort time today.

1 North bound Gray Whale was observed during heavy rain traveling through quickly a half mile out under a hazy wet marine layer. REW Carter Baldwin – Lifeguard LA County-Ocean Specialist

**** 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 46% due to the ongoing UME (Unusual Mortality Event) from 2019-2024.

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