As such, you can spot gray whales in oregon at any time of the year. Whales are a special part of the oregon coast, said parsons. In addition to the approximately 200 resident gray whales that live nearly yearround off oregon, a winter and spring migration brings about 18,000 more past our coast. I was born last spring in the warm waters near hawaii. The only downtime is november and the beginning of december. Oregons infamous exploding whale the oregon department of transportation once tried to remove a troublesome dead whale from the shoreline by blowing it up, with calamitous results. However, some species can be found in local waters all year round. Best whale watching depoe bay oregon tradewinds charters. T he oregon coast has an incredible reputation for stunning beaches, quaint communities, breathtaking vistas and endless outdoor recreation opportunities. Watching whales in oregon and the whale watching spoken here. As not all gray whales travel all the way north but also spend their summers in the waters of oregon, sometimes joined by humpbacks, whale safaris are done all year long in oregons depoe bay and from newport. Another whale explosion occurred on january 29, 2004, in tainan city. Depoe bay is the selfproclaimed whale watching capital of the oregon coast. In the winter we watch nearly 25,000 gray whales from middecember through midjanuary as they travel south to the warm lagoons of baja mexico.
While many of us have our favorite activities, one that is growing in popularity up and down the coast is whale watching. The town is home to the oregon parks and recreation whale watching center, which is on the seawall and has large. We stayed there for a few months and then we swam thousands of miles to alaska for the winter. The truth about the legendary exploding whale of florence, oregon. Best time to see oregon whales whales tail charters. Oregon parks whale watching center in depoe bay will be open from 10 a. The oregon parks and recreation department oprd whale watching center in depoe bay will also be open 10 a. Oregon parks and recreation department 2017 spring whale. Twice patrick and i have headed to the oregon coast attempting to see migrating gray whales. The whaleplanner february a whale watching infographic.
A widely reported case of an exploding whale occurred in florence, oregon in november 1970, when the oregon highway division now the oregon department of transportation blew up a decaying sperm whale with dynamite in an attempt to dispose of its rotting carcass. In the winter we watch nearly 20,000 gray whales from middecember through midjanuary as they travel south to the warm lagoons of baja. Oregon parks and recreation department whale watching week. Oregon whale watch week begins with livestream kdrv. You dont have to rent a whale watching boat or have a powerful telescope to see the whales display the listed behaviors. Where to watch thousands of migrating gray whales this weekend. Any location with an ocean view may yield whale sightings, and morning light with the sun at your back is best. The conditions did improve somewhat by afternoon but it was still very wet out on the waters so we decided to cancel todays activities. Gray whales returning to the oregon coast for winter migration. Mar 19, 2018 watch whales at the oregon coast from march 2431 across oregon, or oregon parks and recreation officials will host whale watching events at 24 locations along the coast during spring whale. Whale watching in lincoln city lincoln city oregon.
Officials at the whale watch center in depoe bay say they are seeing between 6 and 20 whales per day in lincoln county in recent weeks. Its whale watch week on the oregon and washington coast. The entire oregon coast celebrates the gray whale migration along its shores twice a year spring and winter with special whale watching weeks. Gray whale migration coming back to the oregon coast this winter. The first surge swims past oregon around the end of march, and we watch the northbound whales all the way until june. Many florence residents were not pleased they felt this was the wrong way to get ones hometown on the map.
The whale watching center has interpretive exhibits on whales, whale size windows with panoramic ocean views, and rangers on hand to answer questions. Also whale excrement jump starts the food chain by excreting tons of iron and nitrogen into the environment and since whales excrete at the surface, this whale pump shifts nutrients from deeper in the water column to the surface. Dubbed as the whale watching capital of the oregon coast, depoe bay has whale watching almost year. Approximately 20,000 gray whales can be seen as they migrate south along the oregon coast each december and january and during the peak of the migration, december 2731, volunteer interpreters will staff 24 of the coasts top whale watching spots during oregon state parks whale watch week. Depoe bay has some yearround resident whales and a great whale watching center. Whale watching is not difficult, but a few tips make it easier. She is a college prof and im not sure how late in the summer she personally conducts the tours. Whales are visible from oregons shores all year long although some months are better than others.
While were there, wed like to go on a whale watching trip. Whale watching on the oregon coast the official guide to. Then from late march to june the whales migrate north back to alaska. This is the premier time to observe whales in oregon.
In what was called a controlled explosion, they used a. Ap state parks and recreation officials say this week is an excellent time to see whales on the oregon coast. Hopefully will see you tomorrow on your future dates you are at the oregon coast. Mar 17, 2018 on november 9, 1970, a fortyfivefoot, eightton sperm whale washed ashore near florence on oregon s south coast. Oregon coast whale numbers of late march numbers for march released by the whale watch center in depoe bay show a definite upward slingshot as the great migration reached a peak. Astounding number of whales off oregon coast youtube. The best time of day are mornings before the wind starts to blow, during the afternoon it can get windy, which has a tendency to blow the spouts down making it hard for people to see them. Depoe bay is your destination for all gray whales on the oregon coast.
Moreover, each year there are about 200 to 400 resident gray whales in oregon. They are heading to their breeding grounds in baja california, mexico, where warmwater lagoons become nurseries for expectant mothers. My mom named me that because i sing beautiful songs while im playing around in the water. The parks department will host spring whale watch week from march 23 to 31, 2019. The lewis and clark interpretive center is a great place for whale watching on the washington coast, offering fantastic views from 2oo feet above the pacific ocean on the cliffs of cape disappointment state park. Whale watching in lincoln city, oregon, is one of the most spectacular things you will ever witness in your life.
Watch whales at the oregon coast from march 2431 across. Download our whale watching brochure to learn out about whale swimming. Spring watching begins in late march as the gray whales travel north on their way towards alaska. On each trip, approximately 18,000 gray whales pass close to the oregon coast. There is now better footage of that time oregon blew up a. Whale watching on the oregon coast the official guide to portland. Nearly 20,000 people visit our whale watch sites each winter and are educated by our excellent. For the first half of our trip, we are staying on coronado island, then were heading up to anaheim for a few days, and then we head back south, to carlsbad for 4 nights. Take a trip with us for an exciting time while we set some pots for crab and look for whales along the oregon coast. Spotting gray whales takes patience, and not every trip to. The whaleplanner march a whale watching infographic whaletrips. Best places to view migrating whales on oregon coast this.
Winter whale watch now underway along the oregon coast. Oregon coast whale numbers for november late october and much of november did not produce a lot of whale sightings at the whale watch center. All whale watching was cancelled today as the ocean was very rough, windy and wet this morning. This whale makes the longest migration of any mammal on the planet.
The whale watching is at its absolute best at this time of the year and our skippers report excellent sightings on each excursion. The great thing about the coastline, is the residential gray whales. Falling out of the northward spring migration and sticking along the oregon coast in summer and fall, this group of whales offers reliable, yearround whale watching in oregon. Whale s tail charters is dedicated to ensuring that your time spent whale watching with us is the highlight of your oregon vacation. Now is the time to go whale watching on the oregon coast. Whaletrips oregon the best tips for whale watching in. The whaleplanner january a whale watching infographic. Oregon coast whale stats from officials, february to early march as happens every year, february is not big on whale sightings on the oregon coast, but march kicked into life. Each winter some 20,000 great grays swim along the shore south from alaskas bering sea to.
In any event, the exploding whale with the help of syndicated humor columnist dave barry, who had great fun with it has become part of our entire nations pop culture and has been mistaken for an urban legend. A great way to beat the heat in the valley is with a whale watching excursion. The gray whales leave their feeding grounds in alaska in late october passing oregon middecember through january heading for their nurseries, the warmwater lagoons of baja california, mexico. Winter whale watch week is back for 2019, helping visitors spot the thousands of migrating whales. The explosion threw whale flesh over 800 feet 240 m away. Whale watching week begins thursday during the peak of grey whale migrations along the oregon coast. Actual explosives have also been used to assist in disposing of whale carcasses, ordinarily after towing the carcass out to sea. In addition to the stench and the possibility that the body would burst, local officials were concerned that people curious about the carcass might climb on it and fall in.
Ranger luke parsons from the whale watching center in depoe bay says. Whale watching is a yearround activity on the oregon coast with gray whales by far the most commonly seen. A widely reported case of an exploding whale occurred in florence, oregon. Hosted by marine mammal naturalist with 37 years experience. Ocean crab, whale watch and private bay crab yaquina bay. The most common whale off the oregon coast is the gray whale. Luke parsons, an oprd ranger with the whale watching center in depoe bay, says one of the goals of the event is to create awareness and compassion for whales and other marine life.
Depoe bay whale watch center visitor information, oregon. Oregon, located a bit further south, benefits from the annual migration of the gray whales. Whales, dolphins and porpoises oregon department of fish. Fog, massive waves make for slow start to oregon whale watch. Thousands of gray whales travel south from their feeding grounds around alaska to the warm waters of baja california and swim past oregon. During whale watching weeks, trained volunteers are there to answer questions and provide information that can enhance your whale watching experience check out their website and map to learn more. These resident whales are also known as the pacific coast feeding group. If you had to pick a mascot for the oregon coast, you might choose the gray whale. Depoe bay whale watch center visitor information, oregon coast whale watch center, depoe bay.
The depoe bay whale watching center, also known as the depoe bay ocean wayside, is an oregon state parksstaffed visitor center in depoe bay, oregon, u. Remember that everyday is an excellent day to go whale watching with dockside charters. Winter whale watching week washington coast beachcombers. Our boats provide passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer service, seamanship, first class vessels, and highest possible safety standards. On november 12, 1970, the oregon department of transportation blew up a dead whale that had washed up on a florence beach. During the spring migration is when the whales move closer to shore and will stop to feed. This is when our resident whales have returned and taken up residence. There have been several cases of whale carcasses bursting due to a buildup of gas in the decomposition process. This gives visitors the unique opportunity to study and interact with these majestic creatures on a daily basis all summer long, until they migrate south. Every winter from middecember through midjanuary about 20,000 gray whales pass the coast of oregon on their way to the warm baja, california waters. Because of depoe bays closeness to the ocean in fact, less than a minute by boat from our dock, youll be sighting whales in no time. Whaletrips oregon the best tips for whale watching in oregon.
Contrary to that popular belief, the best time to see whales here in depoe bay is june through september. Carrie newell conducts the best, most personal and educational tours in her zodiac. This time, on march 26, we got to see some in the form of their blows shooting up from the surface of the water and quickly turning into. As summer approaches we see more of our resident gray whales arrive. A combination of one of the oregon coasts best hikes and whalewatching spots comes together at cape lookout state park. The dates of whale watching week in 2020 are march 2129 and dec. Migration of the gray whale begins in baja california and ends in the bering sea of alaska. February is also a good time to see the big whales around the baja california, mexico. Oregon coast whale stats from officials, february to early march. The twoway highway engineer george thornton, who led a 1970 operation to blow up the dead whale on a beach, died this week at age 84. Most of the whale watching trips involve the california gray whales. One year of whale watching in just one infographic. There are as many as 20,000 gray whales moving south to mexican waters this time of year. Newport winter whale watch week has begun along the oregon coast.
1055 364 886 1320 957 374 645 330 856 1302 155 1564 278 997 344 520 221 867 1398 994 824 513 852 86 1105 590 803 397 1402 1401 577 1331 234 999 1478 391 574 907