Winter Whale Watch Now Underway Along The Oregon Coast

Gray whales are the predominant whales seen along the Oregon Coast.

Photo: Oregon State Parks.

(NEWPORT) - Winter Whale Watch Week has begun along the Oregon coast.

During winter Whale Watch Week, Dec. 26th through Jan. 1st, 2007, trained volunteers are available at 28 sites along the coast from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

18,000 whales will pass by in 4 weeks, mid-December to mid-January. The main body is about 5 miles off shore, but many are seen 1 to 2 miles off shore. During the southern migration whales seldom stop to eat, but travel steadily to the Baja lagoons of Mexico.

For year-round whale watchers and those watching for the first time, here are a few whale watching tips.

Gray whales may possibly be seen year-round on the Oregon, Washington and northern California coastlines.

Winter migration has the highest numbers (30 per hour) but the whales are usually farther off shore (1-5 miles) because of stormy weather..

During the spring migration (northbound), the whales are more spread out (6 per hour) but they are closer to shore (1/2 - 3 miles), sometimes stopping to eat.

Summer feeding whales are very close to shore and eat tiny mysid shrimp that live in the kelp beds. They may feed for hours in the same location.

Bring your binoculars and dress for the weather. Focus your binoculars and have them ready, but watch with your eyes.

When you locate a blow, then bring up your binoculars for a closer look.

Learn the diving and feeding habits of the whales so you will know how often and where they may surface.

Morning light (with the sun at your back) is often helpful for spotting blows. Afternoon light reflects off the water and makes viewing difficult.

Calmer days are better whale watching days, by land, sea or air.

Any spot with an ocean view may yield whale sightings, but higher locations are better than sandy beaches.

Gray whales are the predominant whales seen along the Oregon Coast. They migrate twice a year, winter and spring, and some of them (about 200) feed along the coast during the summer months. The herd size is more than 18,000 whales, with 1,152 new babies this year (2006). We see Humpback whales during the same times, but the size of the herd is only 1,100. They usually stay farther off shore, especially during the summer when they may be in the area eating.

We have occasional sightings of Sperm whales, Blue whales and Minke whales. Spring also brings Orcas, also known as Killer (of) Whales, because they are hunting for the baby Gray whales for an easy kill.

For more information visit: Oregon Parks & Recreation Dept.: Whale Watching Center What is the Whale Watching Spoken Here Program?