San Diego blue whales

Blue whales are in town!

We spotted three blues and one fin yesterday under June Gloom skies. This kind of lighting doesn’t make for epic photography, but you’ll never catch me complaining about moisture in the air. It keeps vegetation from drying out sooner than it must and me from cooking as well.

Haller's Round Ray-Urobatis halleri

I spotted a handful of Haller's round rays (Urobatis halleri) in Quivera Basin.

Jellyfish? Nope. It’s our plastic trash floating in the ocean that sea turtles and other marine life mistake for food.

California Ground Squirrel-Otospermophilus beecheyi

Eat up, California ground squirrel! If only they’d consume all of that brutally invasive ice plant.

Great Blue Heron-Ardea herodias

Something about this great blue heron (Ardea herodias) walking across a sea of greenery amused me. They’re common in Mission Bay which doesn’t make them any less fun to watch.

Fin Whale-Balaenoptera physalus

Our first rorqual sighting of the day was this fin whale. They’re the second largest whale after the blue and extremely fast. You can learn about them here.

Blue Whale-Balaenoptera musculus

Blue whale! If you squint you can barely make out the San Diego coastline in the distance. They’re the largest known animal to have ever inhabited Earth.

Blue Whale-Balaenoptera musculus

Check out the tiny dorsal fin on this blue.

Blue Whale-Balaenoptera musculus

The second blue whale we spotted has a larger, curved dorsal fin.

Blue Whale-Balaenoptera musculus-fluke

We were lucky to catch a glimpse of the one blue’s fluke (tail). Typically when we get a good look at their flukes straight up it means they’ve gone down on a deep dive. That they weren’t throwing them high suggests the krill they were feeding on were somewhat near the surface.

Northern Fulmar-Fulmarus glacialis

I’d have loved to get closer to this northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), but sometimes we have to accept these proof of life nature moments for what they are which is good enough for iNaturalist data.

Western Gull-Larus occidentalis

This western gull (Larus occidentalis) was hoping we were a fishing vessel. I still like them even though they’ve stolen lunch straight out of my hands.


Whale tails are back...

This ethereal watercolor and soft pastel painting was my response to seeing blue whales a week ago. Blue whale flukes (tails) are more grayish in real life. Said species was given that common name because their bodies glow blue when they're just below the surface.

Owning this painting or a print of it while wearing a thong peeking out of the top of your low-rise jeans while driving a car with the cool whale plates that benefit the California Coastal Commission would be totally meta. Increase the Droste-ish Effect by buying the art and getting a design of it tattooed on your lower back. ;-)

Robin Street-Morris.  Phantasm (White Whale).  Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13” x 21” (33 x 53cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Phantasm (White Whale). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13” x 21” (33 x 53cm).