Spring whale watches until March 30th

In Oregon State Parks, the Spring Whale Week will take place along the coast of Oregon on Saturday, March 22nd to Sunday, March 30th.

Trained volunteers and rangers of Oregon State Park are stationed at 14 locations along the Oregon coast to facilitate the whales and their calves and to answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day. The locations are some of the best places to pay attention to whales on the Oregon coast.

Cape Foulweather will not be recorded this year because it is closed due to the construction.

“Spring is a great time for whale watching, since the gray whales are normally closer to the bank on their return trip, usually about a mile or something, and they could have calves in tow,” said Park Ranger Peter McBride.

An estimated 19,260 gray whales are expected to swim past Oregon's shores as part of their annual migration to Alaska.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2023 announced an end to an unusual mortality event that had a effect on gray whales. Since then, according to NOAA, the estimated population has risen by around 30% to 19,260 in the previous year from 14,530. The numbers are increasing overall, but the calf number is still low because the population continues to recover.

Whale Week Week offers the opportunity to see not only the gray whales, but also the wild animals on the coast, including birds and other marine mammals with the help of trained volunteers and rangers.

A map of voluntary websites is available online on the official event website:

The whale observation center in Depoe Bay is open from March 22nd to 30th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors to the center can enjoy interactive whale exhibitions and enjoy the view of the Panorama Sea. Binoculars are made available. Rangers from the State Parks in Oregon will also be available to answer questions about the whales.

All visitors to the Wal -Huhr week are encouraged to dress for the weather, to bring binoculars and to follow the beach security guidelines, e.g. Go to a list of security tips.

Further information on coastal parks and campsites can be found at StateParkks.oregon.gov.

Visitors are encouraged to share their photos and videos from Spring Whale Watch on social media with #oreGonstateparks and #orwhalewatch.