Wednesday, May 20, 2015
The annual gray whale migration has trickled off, with 14 seen on Saturday. Humpback whales have been observed lingering off Stinson and Limantour beaches, which is unusual for this time of year. They tend to move around in one place as they blow bubble nets around schools of fish to trap and confuse their eventual dinner.
White flowers are everywhere. The tall, cauliflower-like blooms are cow parsnip, which can grow to 4 to 5 feet high. It looks like a good year for blackberries, which are also flowering (smaller pinkish-white flowers).
The first snowy plover chick hatched April 29! A temporary closure on the Great Beach is in place for the holiday weekend to help the chicks withstand the rugged environment and plethora of predators. The closure begins 0.5 miles north of North Beach towards Abbotts Lagoon.
A special Memorial Day remembrance of the surfmen who lost their lives in this area is scheduled for Friday, May 22 at 9 am at the historic cemetery off Sir Francis Drake Highway at the Coast Guard station turn off. The public is welcome to attend with park staff and Coast Guard officers from the local communication station.
The Bear Valley and the Lighthouse visitor centers are open for the holiday weekend. All camping permits have been sold for the holiday weekend at Point Reyes boat-in and hike-in sites.