. >> this is the piedras blancas light station, this is a very unique piece of property because it sticks out into the migratory corridor of the northbound gray whale cows and calves. >> a picture perfect location for researchers to fly a science drone to get an unprecedented birds-eye view of what swims below. >> to the right of 6, but in the distance home line... >> i gotcha... whoa there it is. >> for 22 years, wayne perryman and a team from noaa have been here from march until may, counting and collecting data on gray whales migrating north...from the breeding grounds of mexico...to the arctic...a trip of 6,800 miles. >> this point is kind of a focal point for them and we're able to see them very very well, they pass often within a 100 meters of the beach so it's a great place to count animals. >> gray whales swim close to land as protection against their main predator... killer whales. even so it takes a sharp eye and strong binoculars to spot the northern migration. once they do, "it's go time" for a one of a kind unmanned aircraft named mobly. >> to the right, to the right, ok now