| The main body of whales are about 5 miles off shore, but many are seen 1 to 2 miles off shore and some are right outside the
Ocean Front Vacation Rentals Units.
During this winter migration whales seldom stop to eat, but travel steadily to the Baja lagoons of Mexico.
Summer Whale Residents - Whale Watch Week - Aug. 27-Sept. 3, 2007
200 whales will stay along the Oregon Coast all summer. They come close to shore to feed on crustaceans found in the kelp beds. Oregon's 200-plus resident whales will be visible until mid-November when they again migrate south.
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.
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.
Look for whales during Whale Watch Weeks
The
Whale Watching Spoken Here program focuses on the peak times for gray whales migrating past our coastline, which happens during winter break, We also watch whales during summer because some whales don’t migrate all the way to the Artic. They stay and feed along the northwest coast until November when they rejoin the other whales migrating south to the Baja for mating and birthing.
Winter Whale Watch Week 2006-2007 – Dec. 26 – Jan. 1, 2007
During winter Whale Watch Weeks,
trained volunteers are available at 28 sites along the coast from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The summer watch week with volunteers is limited to the central coast at Boiler Bay, (which is 1 mile north of Depoe Bay), Downtown
Depoe Bay and
Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
Other Whales
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.
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