Unbeknownst to us, it was the first day of winter whale watching season. Two Forest Service volunteers were there with their "whale watch spoken here" buttons, construction-orange vests, and binoculars. While we did not see any whales that day, it was a fun time and we learned a lot.
According to these happy folks, the best place to watch for whales is in Depoe Bay where the town is closer to the ocean than many places along the Oregon Coast. Each year 18,000 whales travel from Alaska during a four-week period from mid-December to mid-January. Between Christmas and New Year's serves as Whale Watch Week up and down the Oregon Coast.
In Winchester Bay, there is a whale watching platform opposite the Umpqua River Lighthouse.
During that week, Forest Service volunteers are on hand with tips regarding effective whale watching and to interpret possible sightings. The best places to see whales is from cliffs next to the ocean. Whales can be seen approximately five miles off shore, but many are seen just one to two miles off the beach as they travel down to the lagoons of Baja, Mexico, to breed.
Between March and June, these whales will travel up the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington on their way to the Bering Sea. At the Whale Watching Platform next to the Umpqua River Lighthouse, volunteers will be out between March 25 and the 31st for another round of whale watching.
1 comment:
Hi Tee,
Your capsule summary of whale watching on the Oregon coast was most interesting.
It reminded me of whale watching from Ft. Abercrombie on Kodiak Island in Alaska.
I suspect at least some of the whales I saw have been observed thousands of miles southeast of there -- in much warmer waters.
Thank you for writing this. It inspired me to drive to Depoe Bay and look up a few "old friends."
SWA
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