American Cetacean Society - Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA)

12 hours ago

ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project Update, Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center, 13 May 2026: although we did not spot any GRAY WHALES, we did watch a BLUE WHALE and at least one HUMPBACK WHALE and one FIN WHALE! The BLUE WHALE surfaced just after 10am, 2 miles offshore and heading east. We watching it for over an hour, as it blew out underwater just before its deep dive and creating a large spray of water, then fluked; this very unusual behavior has earned this whale the nickname "Bubbles". This is the same BLUE WHALE that has been spotted repeatedly for weeks, between Point Vicente and Dana Point! Five minutes after we first saw the BLUE WHALE, we spotted a HUMPBACK WHALE in the same direction, just a bit further offshore. They surfaced close to each other at one point; the HUMPBACK WHALE appeared to be foraging in this area for over five and a half hours! A FIN WHALE popped up in that same area in the afternoon; we watched it for over four hours! The HUMPBACK and FIN WHALES whales went out of our field of view a few times, so there may have been additional whales present; we watched a smaller blow next to a tall blow on a few occasions, so perhaps the FIN WHALE had a calf with it. Many birds often accompanied the feeding whales. We also spotted COMMON DOLPHINS. (Summary by Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger)
PHOTOS TODAY: The blue whale starts to surface to breathe, with its distinctive U-shaped head and light mottled pigmentation (by independent offsite drone operator Mauricio Tassara aka empty_drone); the blue whale nicknamed "Bubbles" releases its blow underwater before heading down on its longer dive, creating a large unusual distinctive spray (by Captain Erik Combs, Harbor Breeze Cruises); the blue whale heads down on its longer dive, displaying its tiny dorsal fin and huge flukes that could be up to 30' wide (by Matt West, crew member on Harbor Breeze Cruises); a juvenile great horned owl rested in a tree all day, a VERY unusual sight (by Census anchor Laurie Thomson).
GRAY WHALES TODAY
Southbound: 0
Northbound: 0
Cow/calves south: 0
Cow/calves north: 0
Total: 0
GRAY WHALES TO DATE (since 1 Dec)
Southbound: 214
Northbound: 441
Cow/calves south: 17
Cow/calves north: 15
Total: 655
#acsladailycount #graywhalecensus #bluewhale #humpbackwhale #finwhale #commondolphins ... See MoreSee Less

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American Cetacean Society - Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA)

2 days ago

ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project Update, Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center, 12 May 2026: although we did not spot any GRAY WHALES, we did see at least one FIN WHALE and HUMPBACK WHALES! A solo FIN WHALE was spotted foraging between 1-2 miles offshore, multiple times during the day. On the first occasion, the FIN WHALE was feeding with about 20 COMMON DOLPHINS and diving birds. One sighting that was 2 miles offshore may have been a BLUE WHALE; a BLUE WHALE was seen 2 miles offshore just south of our area by a whale watching vessel, a few hours later! A HUMPBACK WHALE mom and her large calf were feeding 2 miles offshore, shortly before we closed for the day. This was likely the same cow/calf pair that was tail- throwing 2 hours earlier next to a whale watching vessel south of us, that was the same pair we have been watching on multiple days for more than a week! We also spotted COMMON DOLPHINS and coastal BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS.
**POACHERS CAUGHT! ANOTHER.vessel was illegally fishing in our Marine Protected Area (MPA)! We alerted the Department of Fish and Wildlife, but they arrived shortly after the fishermen left. However, this private fishing boat returned hours later, and F and W officials documented them as they illegally caught multiple fish - and cited them! DO NOT FISH IN OUR MPA! (Summary by Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger).
PHOTOS TODAY: A humpback whale mom does a huge tail throw (by Census observer Gregg Gentry, on board Harbor Breeze Cruises); three harbor seals, including a pup, rest on their favorite haul-out rock; a western gull dwarfs one of our resident ravens (by Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger).
GRAY WHALES TODAY
Southbound: 0
Northbound: 0
Cow/calves south: 0
Cow/calves north: 0
Total: 0
GRAY WHALES TO DATE (since 1 Dec)
Southbound: 214
Northbound: 441
Cow/calves south: 17
Cow/calves north: 15
Total: 655
#acsladailycount #finwhales #humpbackwhales #babywhale #commondolphins #bottlenosedolphins ... See MoreSee Less

American Cetacean Society - Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA)

3 days ago

ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project Update, Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center, 11 May 2026: although we did not spot any GRAY WHALES on this day that included a lot of morning fog, we did see FIN WHALES and likely HUMPBACK WHALES! he FIN WHALES were 3 miles offshore, moving repeatedly back and forth - likely foraging. The 2 likely HUMPBACK WHALES were 2.5 miles from us, near the Point Vicente cliff. They produced 3-4 very large splashes, and a smaller whale produced 3 small blows next to those splashes. This likely HUMPBACK WHALE cow/calf pair did multiple lobtails (tail slaps). We also spotted COMMON DOLPHINS and coastal BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS. (Summary by Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger).
PHOTOS TODAY: Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger scans for cetaceans and peregrine falcons as California brown pelicans wheel around the Point Vicente lighthouse (by Census observer Pattie VanOver Indictor); hummingbird forages on nectar in white sage flowers, and California brown pelican flies low over the kelp beds (by Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger).
GRAY WHALES TODAY
Southbound: 0
Northbound: 0
Cow/calves south: 0
Cow/calves north: 0
Total: 0
GRAY WHALES TO DATE (since 1 Dec)
Southbound: 214
Northbound: 441
Cow/calves south: 17
Cow/calves north: 15
Total: 655
#acsladailycount #graywhalecensus #finwhales #commondolphins #bottlenosedolphins ... See MoreSee Less

American Cetacean Society - Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA)

4 days ago

ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project Update, Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center, 10 May 2026: we did not spot any GRAY WHALES - but we did see HUMPBACKS and a FIN WHALE! We watched a trio of HUMPBACK WHALES, including a calf, that varied from just over 3 miles to just over a mile offshore; they were hanging out in the same area for over two hours, going back and forth - likely foraging. A solo HUMPBACK WHALE breached twice. Three hours later, a solo HUMPBACK WHALE breached once, then briefly mugged a whale watching boat! Sea lions accompanied it for a while. We watched one FIN WHALE that headed west, and a few other whales that were likely FIN or HUMPBACK WHALES. We also spotted multiple groups of COMMON DOLPHINS (including one group of 3000+ dolphins that stretched out for many miles and took a very long time to pass us), and coastal BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS. **POACHERS CAUGHT: Another boat was illegally fishing in our Marine Protected Area (MPA) toward Whale Rock, catching multiple fish! We alerted The Department of Fish and Wildlife; they watched the fisherman continue this illegal activity, and cited them! DO NOT FISH IN OUR MPA: no fishing allowed! (Summary by Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger).
PHOTOS TODAY: solo humpback whale fluking; mom and calf humpback whales, who have been foraging off of our area for several days; lunge-feeding humpback whale (by Harbor Breeze Cruises crew member Matt West).
GRAY WHALES TODAY
Southbound: 0
Northbound: 0
Cow/calves south: 0
Cow/calves north: 0
Total: 0
GRAY WHALES TO DATE (since 1 Dec)
Southbound: 214
Northbound: 441
Cow/calves south: 17
Cow/calves north: 15
Total: 655
#acsladailycount #graywhalecensus #humpbackwhales #babywhale #finwhale #commondolphins #bottlenosedolphins ... See MoreSee Less