Volunteers of All Ages to Offer Spring Whale Watching Help

2,755 sightings occurred during last year*s spring watch week.

Photo courtesy: whalespoken.org

(DEPOE BAY,Ore.) - Volunteers from age eight to 80 will give whale watching aid at 28 "Whale Watching Spoken Here" coastal viewpoints from March 22nd - 29th. The program*s youngest trained volunteered, an eight-year old girl from Turner, will share her knowledge March 26th at the Inn at Spanish Head site in Lincoln City.

"She is an example of a youngster who knows these whales can be seen on their incredible journey live, not just on TV," said event coordinator Morris Grover at the Oregon Park and Recreation Department*s Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay.

"Our whale watching weeks are good opportunities to give kids an educational experience that they'll remember forever."

The "Whale Watching Spoken Here* volunteers will be on duty from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM to help visitors spot some of the thousands of Gray whales passing the Oregon coast on their annual spring voyage to summer feeding grounds in the Arctic. Volunteers specially trained in sign language will assist people with hearing disabilities March 23rd - 24th at the Neahkahnie Mountain site near Manzanita.

Visitors also will find information and viewing help from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day of the spring whale watching week at the Depoe Bay center. The Oregon State University/Sea Grant Hatfield Marine Science Center offers coinciding presentations that include children story times in nearby Newport.

Grover said that 2,755 sightings occurred during last year*s spring watch week. "We've already seen some early-bird whales pass the center, but the largest numbers traditionally come by in late March," he said. "It's our good fortune that the timing corresponds with spring break for most schools."

Maps of the "Whale Watching Spoken Here" viewpoints, information on charter boat and airplane tours, and whale watching tips are online at whalespoken.org

OPRD coordinates the whale watch weeks with support from the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston, Washington State Parks, and U.S. Cellular.