March 20, 2025 Thursday

2 North Bound 0 South Bound 7 hrs *** REW 1

Sunny with hazy stratus layer of thin clouds at horizon. Winds 8-10 mph and small scattered white caps and white sea foam at swash line. 64 degrees water 53 degrees.

First sighting a large THIN adult with sunken, concave or protruding spine and dips in post cranial head area. The Gray Whale traveled through skimming the water with each breathing cycle and headed out into sun-line.

Second sighting was close to shore, active Gray Whale displaying multiple feeding behaviors including: sharking or parallel swimming with the tip of fluke and pectoral fin peeking out of waves, head lifts with sandy water spewing out of mouth and back floating with sandy water surrounding the head peeking out of water as it rolls over.

Hundreds of Velella Velella or by-the-wind sailors started to wash ashore with the afternoon tide. These bright blue jellyfish like organisms are Hydrozoans (Cnidarians) which live at the surface of the open ocean, feeding on plankton or small prey. Their movements are directed by the wind. A thin sail on top propels and a blue underside with tentacles is used to sting small prey with nematocyst toxin which isn’t dangerous to humans but some individuals may have reactions such as itching and it is recommended to wash hands or any body part that come in contact.

Sea Lion Updates

A dead Sea Lion Bull on sand in high tide zone with areas of decay and possible cookie cutter shark bites. Skull bones exposed with decreased tissue, possibly from decay or other animals feeding.A second dead Sea Lion washed in at Tower 2. California Wildlife Center was here for a Brown Pelican Rescue by Tower 3 after sunset. They left on route to pick up another stranded animal before the last light at another beach further north. Over 100 calls a day are received in regard to stranded sick marine mammals and shore birds with illness related to the algae bloom and subsequent Domoic Acid poisoning.

Sunset

A Solar Pillar is a rare occurrence that happens at sunrise or sunset. The tower of light is an optical phenomenon created when the light of the suns rays radiate upward vertically into cirrus clouds filled with ice crystals creating a pillar or tower of light that can be seen for miles.

Tonight the sun set half way across the Channel Islands, a stark reminder the season is nearly half over. It takes about a weeks time for the sun to get to the other side and set in open ocean. By the time the sun sets near land and behind our view of Leo Carrillo it will be May and the ending of the migration north bounders passing along Point Dume.

Thank you to LA County Lifeguard Specialist Noah for sharing details of one sighting earlier in day

**** 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 declined 46% during the UME (Unusual Mortality Event) from 2019-2023. Population Estimates for 2024 increased to 19,260 up 33% from the 2023 estimate of 14.526.

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