How to Enjoy Whale Watching Oregon's Coast

Growing up in Oregon and returning to the coast for family vacations I have enjoyed whale watching the Pacific Coast. You can spot whales from the shore quite easily the right time of year. Tour boats are also available and very reasonable in price.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    
   Whale Tail

   The gray whales migrate every year from the cold waters off Alaska to the calving areas in the warm water lagoons of Baja Mexico. There is a gray whale migration north in the spring and a gray whale migration heading south in the fall and winter.

2. 
    
   From Shore

   Gray whales can be spotted from the coast of Oregon year round. The week after Christmas until the first few days of January every year there are trained volunteers and researchers on about a dozen points and headlands to count gray whales during Whale Watch Week. The Spring Whale Watch Week is the last week of March. About 18,000 whales make the journey.

3. Whales are easier to spot on the in the spring migration when they are heading north. They are feeding more with their calves and better weather keeps them in kelp beds closer to shore. In the winter they come close for good weather but often migrate 1 to 5 miles off shore. They stay farther out in stormy weather.

4. The best place to view whales from shore is on the points and headlands that have a higher vantage point. You have a better angle and can see more ocean surface. The best time is early morning when the sun is at your back. Mid day is fine as well. I have often seen whales in the late evening but sunset and glare off the sea make it harder to see the spray from a spout.

5. 
    

   There are great inexpensive boat tours year round for whale watching. Depoe Bay, Oregon is the self proclaimed whale watching capital. There is a whale watching visitors center with movies and displays as well as helpful staff. They have a board showing the number of whales spotted from the center that day. Even mid summer I have seen whales from the sidewalk near the center. Depoe Bay is also a prime place to catch a whale watching tour boat. When I went last year it was about $12.00 per adult and $7.00 for a child for a one hour whale watching tour. They also run salmon and deep sea fishing charters from Depoe Bay. For whale watching I would recommend going after the first run of the morning. That way they have already spotted whales and have a good idea where they will go directly on the next trip out. The first trip out spends time looking then radios the other boats. I have gone out a dozen times and only once in choppy seas did we fail to see whales. Even that was a fun bout outing for me.

Resources

• Oregon Coast Lighthouses

[jenng]

on 3/10/2009 This is so relaxing 5*

[hazelknows]

on 3/5/2009 Good article and pictures I would love to do this some day

[Ladybugblue]

on 3/4/2009 I have always wanted to do this! 5*