With its paws covering its eyes and nose, it looks like this Harbor Seal is hiding or is shy. Or maybe the seal just had an itch!
The abundance of Harbor Seals off the Mendonoma Coast is such a good sign. When they are doing well, the entire ecosystem does well.
Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her sweet photo with you here.
It's sunny and warm today, though there is a big fogbank lurking over the ocean. It's suppose to get a little warmer over the next few days.
Two weeks ago was a great time for seeing Humpback Whales off the Mendonoma Coast.
Scott and Tree Mercer didn't have any sightings of mother/calf gray whales that week, but they were compensated with humpback sightings. Tree wrote, “Despite some challenging wind and fog conditions, humpback whales continue to be seen along our coast. This week, Scott and I documented 40 sightings of humpbacks seen at the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula, Saunders Reef, and at Gerstle Cove. Seven additional humpbacks were seen by Shari Goforth at Ollie’s Straight, Gualala Point Island and off the beach at Gualala Point Regional Park. Many of these humpbacks displayed full and half breaching, tail lobbing, and taking long dives most likely to feed on anchovies.
We have also observed two foraging gray whales swimming both north and south along the peninsula at the Lighthouse. We continue to search for gray whale mothers with their calves which typically can be seen throughout the month of May and even into early June.”
Sara Bogard got a nice photo of a humpback whale tail lobbing while doing her weekly survey of harbor seals off the Point Arena Lighthouse peninsula and surrounding areas.
She spotted 128 harbor seals of which 38 were pups.
Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photo with you here and thanks to the Mercers for their report.
Sunny and warm today, but there's a storm coming in tonight - hard to believe!
Harbor seals continue to be born off the Mendonoma Coast. Sara Bogard watched as this Harbor Seal mother encouraged her pup to climb a pretty steep rock.
I can almost hear the mom saying, "You can do it!"
Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
It was foggy this morning, but the afternoon was sunny and breezy. Temps in the low 70's, really a beautiful day!
Though there are quite a few overhead clouds this Sunday, the sun has shone through for most of the day. Harbor Seals are known for sleeping on rocks in the sun. Ben Angwin found something unusual a few weeks ago - two Harbor Seals molting!
I sent Ben’s photo to Jan Roletto, marine mammal expert for NOAA. She wrote, “Yes, that's a molting in harbor seal. The seal looks like a very healthy animal but is molting a couple of months later than most. Harbor seals molt June - July, just after pups are weaned. This is a ‘shedding’ of fur but will look a little ‘patchy with older duller fur mixed with new shiny fur with brilliant spots. This is what I see in the photo.”
When I look close at Ben’s photo, both Harbor Seals appear to be molting. It’s a mystery as to why they are doing so this late in the year.
Sara Bogard did her census of the Harbor Seals at the Point Arena Lighthouse Peninsula and adjacent Point Arena-Stornetta Lands a few days before Christmas. She found 125 Harbor Seals. Harbor Seals are apex animals. If they are doing well, the ecosystem is doing well too.
Thanks to Ben for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
It's sunny and cool. We are promised at least a week without rain. My season to date rain total is 40.73 inches, which is amazing. 50 inches is a normal wet winter at Rick's and my place.
Michael Reinhart was out photographing nature when he noticed this Harbor Seal surface near some kelp.
The Harbor Seal seems to be looking right at Mike! Harbor Seals are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast.
Sara Bogard has been studying the Harbor Seals off the Point Arena Lighthouse Peninsula and adjoining Point Arena-Stornetta Lands. She will be giving a presentation entitled “Seals Beside Us” at the Point Arena Lighthouse, September 21st from 4-5pm. That's this Saturday! Cost is $5.00.
Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his photo with you here!
Very foggy close to the bluffs, but sunny up on the ridge. Cool temps, 60's.