Mammals

As seen at the Point Pinos Lighthouse

Pocket Gopher Absolutely necessary for our ecology. They are critical for getting soil aerated and watered. The owls and hawks in the area love them (to eat). But they are the scourge of every property in Pacific Grove. You will see their entrance mounds everywhere you go, especially in the spring when the young are emerging (and very stupid easy prey for predators to feed their young).

Hare a.k.a Jackrabbit. The five species of jackrabbits found in central and western North America are able to run at 65 km/h (40 mph) over long distances, and can leap up to 3 m (10 ft) at a time.

California deermouse The mouse's diet consists of shrub fruits, seeds, and flowers, such as of lemonade sumac, shrubs, and sage. They also consume grasses, forbs, fungi, and arthropods.

Black-tailed Deer Without predators (mountain lions and wolves) their population has exploded in 'safe' areas (where people are). They eat almost any plant in your garden and considered a 'pest' by home owners, but the tourists go CRAZY over them and will stop in the middle of traffic to watch or photography them. DO NOT FEED. Besides the lighthouse grounds, they are across the street at the cemetery (grass).

gray whale and humpback whale The whales used to be so thick in Monterey Bay people claimed, in exaggeration, that you could walk on their backs to the other side. Their fat rendered down was the oil used in our lighthouse lamp till 1865. The last whales were harvested in Monterey in 1972. Yeah, that late. Whales feed on the abundant sardines (cold water times) and anchovies (warm water times), which of course we enjoy as well.

California sea lion California sea lions feed on a wide variety of seafood, mainly squid and fish, and sometimes clams. Commonly eaten fish and squid species include salmon, hake, Pacific whiting, anchovy, herring, rockfish, lamprey, dogfish, and market squid. They mostly forage near mainland coastlines, the continental shelf, and seamounts. They may also search along the ocean bottom. California sea lions may eat alone or in small to large groups, depending on the amount of food available. They sometimes cooperate with other predators, such as dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds, when hunting large schools of fish. California sea lions sometimes follow dolphins and exploit their hunting efforts.

Often hang out on our buoy.

Also seen at Point Pinos Lighthouse, but not imaged yet: Tree Squirrel, Raccoon, Coyote, Red Fox, Mountain Lion:cougar:puma