Oregon Coast Officials Call for Volunteers at Whale Migration

Published 11/20/2014

(Newport, Oregon) – If you're looking for a whale of a time on the Oregon coast, state officials have an awesome opportunity.

Oregon coast tourism and nature officials are still looking for more volunteers to help out during the famed and massive Whale Watch Weeks coming up at the end of December and in the spring. Oregon State Parks and Recreation (OPRD) sent out another call for volunteers recently, looking for more to people help others spot whales along the entire 360 miles of coastline.

“Seeing one of the largest creatures on Earth's surface, just offshore, is an incredible experience,” said OPRD in a release. “But half the joy of whale watching is sharing it with others.”

The state's Whale Watching Spoken Here programs provide a day-long training session that covers biology of the whale and details about how to spot them, and then help others in doing so. Two major migrations are coming up.

You could be one of those, OPRD said, helping people see one of great beasts for the first time and sharing in that joy.

Volunteers will go through training at one of three sessions. One is still available in Newport before the winter whale watch week, while two others are held in the wintertime for the spring season.

The sessions last one day. You’ll learn from researchers and OPRD interpretive rangers how to locate and identify the marine mammals of the Oregon coast. You’ll also receive a whale watching reference manual and a waterproof field guide to marine mammals of the North Pacific.

The next session is at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport on December 6, provided by Dr. Bruce Mate, director of the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute.

There will be a session on January 10 held at Harris Beach State Park in Brookings, and another on February 7 at Cape Lookout State Park near Oceanside – both given by famed local scientist and whale tour guide Carrie Newell.

To sign up, call 541-765-3304. Those attending training sessions can camp at local Oregon State Park campgrounds or RV sites for free. Whalespoken.org.

More on Oregon coast whales here. More about Depoe Bay's Whale Watch Center.

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted