Oregon Coast Whale Watch Week Begins Amid More Worries About Gray Whale Population

Published 03/18/25 at 6:45 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon) – Get ready for a veritable parade of whales. Whale Watch Week along the Oregon coast comes back as spring break gets going, happening Saturday, March 22 through Sunday, March 30. (Photo Hatfield Marine Science Center)

Each day, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., knowledgeable Oregon State Park rangers and trained volunteers will be stationed at 14 prime whale-watching locations along the coast. They’ll assist visitors in spotting whales and their calves, as well as answer any questions. However, Cape Foulweather will not be included this year due to ongoing construction.

It's a fantastic time to catch the great cetaceans on their march northward through Oregon and Washington waters – but their numbers may not be increasing after all and it's possible we'll see less and less.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's (OPRD) Park Ranger Peter McBride said their migration period towards colder waters happens after they've given birth down south, so you may see some calves alongside.

Seaside Aquarium

Where to go? On the north Oregon coast, volunteers will be at Fort Stevens State Park / Peter Iredale Shipwreck, the Neahkahnie Mountain Overlook at Manzanita and Cape Meares Lighthouse near Oceanside.

On the central Oregon coast, there's Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint, Whale Watching Center, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint, Newport's Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Yachats State Recreation Area, the Cape Perpetua Turnout and Heceta Head Lighthouse near Florence.

South Oregon coast spots this year are Umpqua Lighthouse at Reedsport, Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay, Bandon's Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint and Harris Beach State Park at Brookings.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

This spring, approximately 15,000 gray whales are expected to pass Oregon's coastline during their annual migration back to Alaska, which typically lasts from late winter through June.

Seaside Aquarium

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently declared an end to the Unusual Mortality Event that had been affecting gray whales for about a decade. NOAA and OPRD have passed on larger population numbers, but Oregon whale researchers have a different take.

Newport's Leigh Torres, associate professor from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Oregon Sea Grant Extension, said the entire population of gray whales along the western continental shelf is more like around 15,000. Most of them will be on the move during this season, which means not quite that number will be roving past the Oregon and Washington coastline during this season.

In spite of the die-off being declared over, Torres said the population is not bouncing back.

“Not much evidence of that,” she told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “In fact the latest news from the Baja wintering lagoons is observations of many dead whales, and very few calves.”

Also see Catching that Cone of Light - False Dusk - Right About Now in Washington, Oregon - Called the Zodiacal Light, it originates in outer space

Reports show at least 40 whales died in that area in recent weeks and many still appear to be emaciated.

Whale spouting at Port Orford - Dave Foley

Out of that approximately 15,000 whales, some 250 of them may be grazing along the region at any give time – from California to northern Canada. These are the “residents,” Torres said.

One misnomer that comes out of publicity about the resident gray whales is that 250 are wandering Oregon shorelines: it's a much broader range than that.

Still, this doesn't take away from the fact there are often strong showings of whales year-round in the Depoe Bay area and up and down the central Oregon coast. Another hotspot to catch sight of them is the Port Orford Heads area. The twice-yearly migrations bring exceptionally high sightings.

Your chances greatly increase if you take one of the whale watching tours out of Depoe Bay, Newport or the south coast.

The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the event. Visitors can explore engaging, interactive whale exhibits and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the ocean. Binoculars will be available, and rangers from Oregon State Parks will be present to share insights and answer questions about the whales.

See the Whale Watch page from OPRD

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