14 North Bound 0 South Bound 8.5 hrs (2 )REW ***

February 11, 2026 Wednesday

Gray cloudy morning 64° Air 61° Water. . Afternoon sun 66° Wind 15-18mph with 20+mph gusts.

The first sighting: A solo stealthy Gray Whale traveled through half a mile off shore.

The second sighting: A solo Gray Whale stayed closer to shore and moved out stealthy.

Third sighting: Trio with two adult Gray Whales and one smaller Gray Whale. The whales swam very close together with popcorn blows. One of the adults is underweight (thin) with protruding scapula area, at times appearing as two whales surfacing.

The fourth sighting: a TRIO migrated half a mile off shore and veered off towards the sunline into deeper seas.

The fifth sighting: FIVE Gray Whales! A TRIO traveling with a PAIR migrated through quickly on the same path heading out along the sun-line to deeper seas. Not all the whales exhale at the same time producing visible blows. Confirmation of five whales swimming top speed by drone pilot with limited footage due to high wind warnings.

The day ended with a vibrant green flash at sunset.

**** 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. The 2025 Estimate is just under 13,000 with the lowest Calf production since record keeping started in the 1970’s with just 85 Calfs! Over 50% loss of the Gray Whale Population since the highest estimate in 2016 of 27,000!

A Petition to List ENP Gray Whales on federal ESA (Endangered Species Act) List was sent to NOAA by prominent researcher Rick Steiner, Professor University of Alaska, Oasis Earth, Anchoridge Alaska. An open letter written by Dr. Steven Swartz, Dr. Jorge Urbán of Mexico and Dr. Jim Darling of Canada are also sounding the alarm and urging international action to re-list the Gray Whales with the Endangered Species Act.

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