Spring Break Means Plenty of Whale Activities on Central Oregon Coast

Newport has three official whale watching sites, a few others close by, a plethora of whale watch vantage points and cruises, and two aquarium centers with loads of whale information.

Salem-News.com

(NEWPORT, Ore.) - To the whales passing by, the Oregon coast is probably just a pit stop for a few million bites of phytoplankton on the way to the Bering Sea. But to thousands of visitors to the area, the Oregon coast is the biggest panoramic theater to nature’s gargantuan cetacean show.

It’s the Spring Whale Watch Week along the Oregon coast, happening March 24th – 31st, and the central Oregon coast town of Newport is the ticket to some of the best seats in the house.

For these seven days, volunteers will be stationed at overlooks and parks all over the central coast, helping both children and adults learn about - and spot – gray whales in the ocean.

Newport has three official whale watching sites, a few others close by, a plethora of whale watch vantage points and cruises, and two aquarium centers with loads of whale information.

Visitors can make Newport their base of operations with ready access to two Whale Watching Spoken Here sites: Don Davis State Park, in the historic Nye Beach neighborhood, Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. The latter two each have their own lighthouse, while the Yaquina Head area has tide pools and an interpretive center. Four other official sites are a short drive away: the state’s Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, the Depoe Bay Sea Wall, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint, Cape Foulweather and the Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area. All are just a few miles to the north. Trained volunteers will be ready and waiting at those sites, daily from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM March 24th through 31st.

The state’s program takes place at the peak of the southbound migration of gray whales. Marine mammologists estimate that 18,000 whales pass by between March and June, as they head north to the Arctic and Alaska’s Bering Sea. According to Whale Watch Spoken Here officials, juveniles pass by first, followed by single adults. Last are the mothers and babies. Some of the whales come close to shore to feed on Oregon's great food supply.

With a little help from a volunteer, you can watch them in transit – especially those close by (see whalespoken.org).

Visitors can learn even more with a healthy dose of fun by heading to Newport’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, which offers storytelling, interpretive programs and other events during the Whale Watch Weeks. While they’re there, they can meet the resident giant pacific octopus, Reuben, learn at the touch pool, shop the marine-centric bookstore or take a walk on the estuary trail (hmsc.oregonstate.edu/visitor/).

For most people, however, seeing a spout from a distance only whets their appetite for more. Visitors can see a whale up close by simply purchasing a spot on the deck of a charter boat. They come in all shapes and sizes in Newport, which is home to the largest charter and fishing fleet on the Oregon coast. Weather permitting, these seasoned captains can get visitors closer to nature than they’ve ever been before — and nothing compares to the shine on a whale’s fluke, massive and jaw-dropping, 100 feet away.

Whales are just the beginning of Newport’s family-friendly attractions. Get up close to another of the coast’s most protected inhabitants, the Snowy Plover, at a new exhibit at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Since beach walkers are advised to stay far away from these birds and their nests on the beach, this sandy dune enclosure may be the closest you can ever get to this shy bird.

Visit the sea otters, the murres and the crustaceans at this favorite Newport destination, or check out many of its spring break events (www.aquarium.org).

After all that education, find some recreation at Newport’s vibrant Bayfront, complete with fishing boats, restaurants, galleries, candy stores, Ripley’s Believe it or Not and Undersea Gardens (www.marinersquare.com).

Also, take a historic turn in Nye Beach, where upscale shops and cafes exude a new attitude. It’s here where Don Davis State Park sits, but there are numerous high vantage points bordering the neighborhood’s cobbled streets from which to view passing whales as well. Try the end of NW 3rd St., next to Sylvia Beach Hotel and Village Market & Deli, or the bottom of NW 11th, where the castle ruin-like remnants of a condo provide prime viewing from high up.