Tall spouts

Sometimes the ocean off Bodega Head is very calm, creating excellent conditions for whale watching.  We heard there were Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus) relatively close to shore this past weekend.  It's early for Blue Whales to show up in this area.  They're most often seen later in the summer and fall, but we've heard there may be some food (krill) around right now.

After work on 25 June 2012, we scanned the horizon and spotted a few extremely tall spouts, likely Blue Whales.  (Blue Whale spouts can be up to 30 feet high!)

 

I'm still amazed that it's possible to see Blue Whales from shore here.  They're more often observed offshore, so I'm thankful for every sighting!

Since the photo above isn't great, here's another whale photo taken last October — Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) flukes at Cordell Bank.  There may be Humpbacks around right now, too, so keep your eyes open!

 

And if you're wondering what the waves sounded like as they washed up the beach this weekend, here's a sound clip.  Listen for the crash of the waves, then water sliding and hissing over the sand and sloshing around before heading back to sea.

Waves by nhbh