Whale Watching On The Scenic Oregon Coast
If you haven’t been whale watching on the Oregon Coast then you have missed something spectacular.
People associate picturesque lighthouses, beautiful sweeping vistas and storms with pounding surf as the main sights on the Oregon Coast.
If you really want an experience to remember you need to park yourself for a spell and watch for whales. There is nothing to get your heart pumping faster then the first time you see a spouting whale.
The fall or spring is when you can view a migrating pod of whales. Gray, humpback and sperm whales make their way south in December to the warmer Baja Mexican waters.
Just watch for spouting water and then their heads come straight up in the water.
Oregon State Parks, in collaboration with the Hatfield Marine Science Center trains volunteers and supplies maps for the observation posts.
The Best Place to Watch Whales
Waysides and promontories with lighthouses are the best place to see the whales. There are also many on shore spots to go to where volunteers stand by on weekends to answer questions.
Some of the best places to watch for whales from north to south are:
- Ecola State Park
- Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
- Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint
- The Whale Watching Center/Depoe Bay Sea Wall
- Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint
- Cape Foulweather
- Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area
- Yaquina Head Lighthouse
- Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site
- Cape Perpetua Interpretive Center
- Umpqua Lighthouse, near Umpqua Lighthouse State Park
- Shore Acres State Park
- Cape Blanco Lighthouse
Boat charters are also available at some ocean bars. They take you up right next to the whales. It is a very exciting experience.
|
“Whale Watching Spoken Here”
“Whale Watching Spoken Here” is a volunteer program during peak gray whale migration time coinciding with winter and spring breaks. Trained volunteers stationed at all 29 locations on the Oregon Coast provide information during shale watch weeks.
What To Bring
The weather can be stormy, of course, so pack your wind proof parka, gloves, wool socks and a warm hat. Sometimes the weather can be pretty blustery and cold. You need to bundle up and be prepared for any kind of weather. A rain coat comes in pretty handy at the coast. If you don’t have a decent pair of binoculars, then borrow some. Remember, there is no such thing as bad weather, just improper clothing.
Gray Whales
There are around 400 gray whales that feed along the coasts of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. While feeding, the whales are seen very close to shore and can be seen from many locations. The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay is the central location for viewing and is staffed daily through out the summer.
|
