Mendonoma Counters: April 4, 2016

The data tell us whales are still coming but we're in the lull before the mom/baby migration builds. Have you noticed all the map sightings from Pt. Arena along the Pacific Coast? Meet whale spotters Scott and Tree Mercer, who faithfully count and report from Pt. Arena Lighthouse Peninsula in Mendocino County California, north of San Francisco. In 2013, this dedicated pair founded a project called the Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study. (Mendonoma is a word combining Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.) “Doing a gray whale count plus monitoring other marine mammals moving through the area is a natural activity since they are right here in a very big way,” said Scott. “No one up here doing this." Weather permitting, they count gray whales daily for as many hours as possible, networking with seven other groups or individuals and reporting to Journey North's map server. This graph shows a summary to date of their 2016 season counts to April 1st. They help tell the story of the gray whale migration from their spot on the whale trail. See more about Scott and Tree here.

Allen Vinson