Today in wildlife photography, intrepid nature watcher David Cruz spotted a gray whale breaching in the waters just west of the Cliff House over the weekend. As the first significantly documented whale activity of the year, we are contractually obligated to bring you photos of said whale.

We reckon this gentle giant is a straggler heading south for the warmer waters and sultry beaches of Mexico on the annual whale sex migration. Let's just hope this one doesn't get distracted and stuck hanging out at Crissy Field, like so many land mammals seem to do on these surprisingly nice January days.