March 8, 2022 3:30 a.m.
Spring whale watching in Oregon kicks off this month.
A release from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said the spring whale migration is beginning, and the best whale watching sites are open at coastal parks, although trained volunteers will not be on site. The Spring Whale Watch Week hosted by OPRD and volunteers has been canceled for this year.
The release said although the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay remains closed, OPRD is bringing back the popular livestream on the Oregon State Parks YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/oregonparks. Livestreams are scheduled daily from March 21st-March 25th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Whale Watch Center will reopen to visitors in late spring this year.
Designated whale watching sites offer the best chance of spotting whales because of their locations, usually slightly elevated above the ocean and in areas where whales are more easily seen.
The release said some 25,000 gray whales will pass by Oregon’s shores from late March to June on their way to cool Alaska waters. Many will be accompanied by their calves, born during later winter in the warm lagoons off the coast of Baja, Mexico.
More information at: https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=things-to-do.whale-watching