As fleeting as an afternoon puff of vapor, they are gone;

our survey concluded today at 5 PM, a full day, a very full year for Gray Whales Count.

We counted no Gray whales on our last day, yet it was far from a zero day: we sighted Humpback whales; almost a thousand Common dolphins, with a large group — about fifty — of California sea lions; a Harbor seal; and several Bottlenose dolphins. No, we did not see an otter. We haven’t seen an otter for a while, but it was very fun while it lasted.

We enjoyed a lot of sun and calmer winds than yesterday that enabled Counters to keep searching for blows at Campus Point. There were none today; many, many in our 2016 Count of over fourteen hundred Gray whales, including an astonishing two hundred ninety-six calves.

Congratulations Counters: a job well done.

Tomorrow we will wrap with more comprehensive thank yous — so many and so little time.

For now ... Thank you, thank you all.

Gray whales northbound (all) 0 | Calves 0 — 2016 Count 1412 | 296

Time Counting: 8h 0m

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