A Killer Weekend for Spotting Whales on Oregon Coast, Apparently (Video)

Published 06/12/26 at 7:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – Whale sightings around the central Oregon coast and even north coast have been ...well...killer. Today (Friday) and Thursday were packed with reports from the Oregon Whale Sightings group. As page admin Julie Conrad put it: “Tons of people saw them.” (Photo from video by Jillian Somm)

And that's just the orcas.

A really large run of them were seen around the Depoe Bay area early in the day (see the Oregon Whale Sightings group for further video). At some point, the orcas sauntered up to Lincoln City, where Jillian Somm caught at least two wandering off into the sunset from the Coho Oceanfront Lodge.

“I was able to confirm the T049A's are one of the pods seen along the central coast yesterday,” Conrad told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “We're still scrutinizing several photos and videos, and we're not certain if T049A1 or T049A2 were present, as they often disperse from their matrilineal pod. Some lucky onlookers even got to see this pod's newest addition, T049A7, born earlier this year.

“I posted a birth announcement for T049A7 back in March, and wondered if we'd get to see them in Oregon this spring. As soon as I saw that cute little peachy orange eyepatch, my heart exploded with joy. Welcome to Oregon, T049A7.”

By early Friday, they'd been videoed in Tillamook Bay and then seen as far north as Neahkahnie Mountain up at Manzanita.

UPDATE: It seems this is the same pod seen down south (according to Conrad). She said they were also seen as far as Cannon Beach on Friday, including the new little one.

There have also been reports of humpback whales seen at the Columbia River mouth on the north Oregon coast as of late.

How to see these whales?

Experts say it's absolutely random where they'll show up. You can't really predict their appearance in any way. However, the central Oregon coast has been a hotspot lately so sticking around the region from Yachats to southern Tillamook County will increase your chances.

Check the group's page periodically if you're out on the coastline, and those posting there often give you a good heads-up on where whales are at any given moment.

Your chances for seeing any kind of whale are much better if you head out on any of the whale watch cruises, like those in Depoe Bay or on the southern Oregon coast.

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