Tag Archives: Tree Mercer

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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!

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Scott and Tree Mercer, of Mendonoma Whale and Seal, are presenting the 3rd annual Ocean Life Symposium. It begins on Monday, October 25 from 9 am to noon, and continues throughout the week.

You will undoubtedly learn more about Humpback Whales, as photographed here by Craig Tooley. Here is the link to learn about the many learned speakers of this informative event.

https://www.facebook.com/events/845494016135619/

To learn more about the Mercers and Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study, here is the link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Mendonoma-Whale-and-Seal-Study-1421926098039236

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

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Gray Whales are one of the oldest species of mammals. They have been swimming in the Earth's oceans for nearly 30 million years, according to Science Daily. To contemplate their awesome twice-yearly migration is to fill you with wonder. Scott and Tree Mercer watch for whales and other marine sightings on the bluffs near the Point Arena Lighthouse. This past week they have counted 133 northbound Gray Whales.

Paul Brewer has a front row seat to view the ocean. Over the years he has photographed Gray Whales. Here is one spouting, where the whale is exhaling.

The Mercers have seen their first  mother/calf pair, which is very early this year. Another pair was seen by Diane Hichwa off of Bodega Bay. Calves seem to enjoy breaching, as Paul captured. The baby whale is beside his/her mother.

Calves have stubby heads as Paul's photo shows.

And here's a look at two Gray Whale tails, perhaps mother/calf.

And here's an x-rated sighting of a male's member, which is nicknamed the Pink Floyd.

Males on the northbound migration can have mating on their minds, but the females aren't interested. We have seen this action several times in the past week off the Mendonoma Coast.

I hope you will take comfort in these trying days that the Gray Whale migration continues as it has for millennia. I wish for all of us the best of health.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his wonderful photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here  is his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

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A week ago Thursday, eagle eyes at the Point Arena Lighthouse spotted a pod of Orcas. Sara Bogard and Scott & Tree Mercer were notified. Luckily they were out on the bluffs already, and Sara had her long lens camera. Sara wrote, “Scott, Tree, and I were blessed with this amazing sighting of eight Orcas a half-mile out on January 23, 2:30 to 4 pm. There were two males, and a mother and calf with the pod. This was the most amazing sighting after finishing up my Harbor Seal survey of 111 total count. Also, a North American River Otter was foraging. I’m so grateful for this sighting.”

The Mercers were excited too. Scott wrote, “The excitement this week arrived on Thursday afternoon with the surprise arrival of eight Killer Whales arriving from the northwest. OrcaNetwork in Washington, Orca experts Alisa Janiger and Nancy Black, and Jodi Smith of Naked Whale Research were notified immediately and were sent photos. Janiger and Black quickly identified the Orcas as meat-eating transient Orcas. We see Orcas on average, once a year, and rarely close, so this relatively close sighting was very exciting. Sara Bogard’s excellent photos made identification possible.”

This second photo is of one of the males. Note the very tall dorsal fin. The Orca experts were able to identify several of the females, CA26 and CA180. Nancy Black wrote, “CA26 is one of our oldest females. She lost her son many years ago so she now often travels with the other older females. [They are called] ‘the golden girls.’”

You can read about these golden girls at this link: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/orcas-golden-girls-grab-spotlight-monterey

Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

A spring-like day, full of sun and warmth, today.

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Scott and Tree Mercer, of the Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study, sit out on the bluffs near the Point Arena Lighthouse most days, looking for Gray Whales and other marine life. The beginning of the southward bound Gray Whale migration was late this year, which caused concern. But yesterday, and again today, Gray Whales are passing by in big numbers. Yesterday the Mercers spotted 63 Grays Whales, and today by 2:00 p.m. they have seen 42. Here's an aerial photo of three migrating Gray Whales taken by Craig Tooley several years ago.

Here's a panoramic view of the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands taken by Peggy Berryhill. It's a great place to whale watch!

Thanks to Craig and Peggy for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

You can follow the Mercer's daily posts on their Facebook page, which is: https://www.facebook.com/Mendonoma-Whale-and-Seal-Study-1421926098039236/

Quite cloudy today, temps in the low 50s. Rain coming late tomorrow.