Whale Wake

I mentioned in a previous post that gray whales sometimes visit the cove. They come in quite close to shore, turn on their side and smack the water with a flipper. Our neighbors report that they can actually hear the whales venting through their air holes.

Cathy and I have been trying to get a close glimpse of the gray whales for weeks. We saw one today. Sadly, it was dead. It is now lying on the beach where scientists performed a necropsy to determine cause of death. Here are some pictures of the sad event.

Gray whales can grow over 50 feet long and live for 50-60 years. This one was 41 feet long and may have died from a collision with a boat.

If you look closely at the pic below you will see the whale on the beach right in the center of the picture.


Here is a closer view from our front yard.


A helicopter has been monitoring the scene.


P.S. Here's a pic from the local newspaper.