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Dana Wharf Blog

Archive: Jan 2023

Weekly Report ~ January 23-29, 2023

Gray Whale Sightings Continue to Increase, Including Cow/Calf (Mom/Baby) Pairs! Most gray whale cow/calf pairs keep a low profile and are often spotted by the trailing fluke prints while traveling close to the water’s surface.  The calves lift their heads when surfacing alongside mom and sometimes change sides from right to left as they swim…

Weekly Report ~ January 16-22, 2023

“Blanco” the Leucistic Risso’s Dolphin, A Rare Bryde’s Whale, Gray Whales, Pacific White-sided Dolphin A nursery pod of Risso’s dolphin, including the leucistic Risso’s named “Blanco” with very distinctive, almost all white coloration and believed to be the only one known off Southern California, was found about 15 miles offshore on our 8-hour Ultimate Whale…

Weekly Report ~ January 9-15, 2023

Gray Whale Cow/Calf Pairs, Patches, Dolphin Stampede As we enter the first phase of the Gray Whale Southbound Migration, we see more cow/calf (mom/baby) pairs heading south along our coast, usually in shallower water very close to shore.  Other adults are traveling as singles, pairs, or trios, many consistently fluking, usually traveling at about 3.5…

Weekly Report ~ January 2-8, 2023

Welcoming the New Year as New Life Begins!  Birth of a baby Gray Whale Right Outside Dana Point Harbor! This week’s Baja-style encounter with this newborn gray whale calf just minutes old was a great way to begin 2023!  During this incredible ninety-minute encounter, Captain Chase Moore on the Dana Wharf Whale Watch vessel Ocean Adventures…

Weekly Report ~ December 16 – January 1, 2022

Happy New Year! The Gray Whale Highway in front of Dana Point Harbor is open! We started the week with Fin whales feeding and ended with Gray whales migrating south very close to shore, often in less than 100 feet of water.  Several of the traveling in groups of one, two, or three seem to stop…