The tail end

Went to watch the sun set on 2014 and got distracted by spouts on the horizon: 

 

A small group of Gray Whales (Eschrichtius robustus) were passing by offshore: 

 

Their flukes were visible, too, but the whales were so far out that they were tough to photograph.  I decided to include one shot anyway — to represent the tail end of the year.  ;)

 

Best wishes for a new year filled with inspiring natural history observations!