Also whale excrement jump starts the food chain by excreting tons of iron and nitrogen into the environment and since whales excrete at the surface, this whale pump shifts nutrients from deeper in the water column to the surface. Oregon state parks made this decision to protect the health and safety of our volunteers and visitors. Select from several whale watching cruise times daily and year round. Whale watching brookings whale watching spoken here whale watching spoken here is a volunteer gray whale watching program during peak migration times coinciding with winter and spring breaks. Yearround whalewatching cruises like this one are rare, so dont miss this chance to see giant blue, finback, grey, minke and humpback whales. Hop aboard a 65foot 20meter whalewatching boat for a fantastic adventure off the orange county coast. Here are a few spots known to be good for whale watching on the washington coast. As not all gray whales travel all the way north but also spend their summers in the waters of oregon, sometimes joined by humpbacks, whale safaris are done all year long in oregons depoe bay and from newport. Po box 552, depoe bay, oregon 97341 541 7652545 or 800 7338915 oregon s premier charter fishing service. Because of the unusually rich kelp and algae beds in port orford bay, california grays hang out here anytime during the year, and are usually most active here in the late summer july through sept. Dockside charters runs whale watching excursions on a daily basis during our whale watching season. With over 70 whales belonging to these families, transient orcas, and humpback whales youll have plenty of opportunities for an encounter with these magnificent creatures. Gary and kit at whales tail are great people to deal with and their customer service is superb.
This whale watching tour is seasonal the best season is june through october. Whales tail charters has made a decision to temporarily suspend our tours for a short time due to the covid19 crisis. Yearround whalewatching cruises like this one are rare, so dont miss this chance to see giant blue, finback, grey, minke and humpback. We went on the last tour of the season, it was a great local history and legends kind of thing, complete with bigfoot and a ghost. The gray whale makes the longest journey traveling 1014 thousand miles round trip from feeding grounds to breeding lagoons. Best whale watching depoe bay oregon tradewinds charters. Port orford offers great whale watching during the year. Whale watching california grey whales to take advantage of the california gray whale s 12,000mile migratory route from a gold beach standpoint, southbound migrating whales move past the oregon coast dec. We also found several private rv resorts along hwy 101 between tillamook and depoe bay. During your whalewatching cruise, learn fascinating details about california sea life from the crew, and enjoy the pacific coast scenery. Last week, we did the ultimate oregon coast road trip with travel oregon all 363 miles of it.
The museum features a section on oregons summer resident gray whales, a whale, dolphin and porpoise room, a shark room, a tropical ocean room, an intertidal display with cubbies of common and world wide invertebrates, a seal, sea lion. Oregon whale watching oregon coast whale watching trips. Videos oregon whale watching tours whales tail charters. The whale watching tours at newport are organized so you are able to go out on the water to catch a glimpse of these gentle giants all throughout the year, and visitors can enjoy whale watching sites in southern california while enjoying the best view at newport landing. Whale watching tour oregon tours ecotours of oregon. Swim with dolphins in mexico, caribbean and jamaica at dolphin discovery up to 40% off. Whale watching in oregon offers a chance for whale lovers to get out onto the open sea and look. Theyre usually in a hurry to get to their calving grounds in baja, mexico, but you can find them five miles. Victoria, bc is the best place on earth to view whales in the wild. Portland whale watching deals in portland, or groupon. The best whale watching spots are port orford heads, cape blanco and battle rock park. I highly recommend a whale watching tour with whales tail at depoe bay while on your oregon coast vacation.
The depoe bay whale watching center is also closed. Any location with an ocean view may yield whale sightings, and morning light with the sun at your back is best. Po box 552, depoe bay, oregon 97341 541 7652545 or 800 7338915 oregons premier charter fishing service. Newport, oregon 97365 yaquina bay lighthouse was built in 1871 and is the second oldest standing lighthouse structure on the oregon coast. There is also a whale watching centre in depoe bay.
Mar 19, 2017 whale watching tour combines a scenic coast tour with the excitement of seeing 40ton gray whales up close on the pacific ocean. Washington coast whale watching beachcombers nw blog. When visiting the oregon coast area, expedia can provide you with extensive whale information, as well as great savings on nearby hotels and flights. The only downtime is november and the beginning of december. From december to february, visitors to the blms yaquina head interpretive center can witness these majestic mammals traveling the oregon coast en route.
Mar 02, 2017 whale watching has become one of our favorite ways to spend time while rv camping on the oregon coast. The only whale museum in the state and the only museum in the world that focuses on individual gray whales. Trained volunteers stationed at thirty locations on or near the oregon coast provide information and assist spotting whales. For more information or to book please call numbers below. Newport, or 97365 5412656200 yaquina bay charters fishing and whale watching charters. This is an excellent tour that checks many items off the list 1 viewing whales 2. If you had to pick a mascot for the oregon coast, you might choose the gray whale. The best time of day are mornings before the wind starts to blow, during the afternoon it can get windy, which has a tendency to blow the spouts down making it hard for people to see them. Whale watching tours pricing newport beach cruises.
A beautiful view of newport and the lighthouse from the ocean. This year, the peoples coast is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the oregon beach bill, which made all of the oregon coast public. Many beautiful coastal photosightseeing stops throughout the day. Whale research ecoexcursions where learning meets the sea. We offer whale watching and sea life cruises daily from march through october.
On each trip, approximately 18,000 gray whales pass close to the oregon coast. Whale watching is not difficult, but a few tips make it easier. Hosted by marine mammal naturalist with 37 years experience. Whale watching on the oregon coast the official guide to portland. The whales tail provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer service, seamanship, first class vessel, and highest possible safety standards. The best times to experience whale watching along the washington coast are during the months of march, april and may while the whales migrate to the warm waters of mexico. Theyre usually in a hurry to get to their calving grounds in baja, mexico, but you can find them five miles offshore, sometimes in large pods, in a parade of water spouts and surfacing gray backs.
Between the months of december and may, gray whales make an appearance off of the coast of oregon. Port townsend and san juan island whale watching tour from puget sound express up to 51% off. Nov 21, 2017 if you had to pick a mascot for the oregon coast, you might choose the gray whale. Visit oregon, take a whale watching vacation to oregon, and enjoy a whale watching trip in oregon. Port townsend and san juan island whalewatching tour from puget sound express up to 51% off. We feel this is our best course of action and will be evaluating on a weekly basis. The museum features a section on oregons summer resident gray whales, a whale, dolphin and porpoise room, a shark room, a tropical ocean room, an intertidal display with cubbies of common and world wide invertebrates, a seal, sea lion and sea otter room, a seabird and. For nearly 50 years offering worldwide adventure cruises, exotic vacations, expeditions including wildlife tours, whale watching, and other ecotourism. Whaletrips oregon the best tips for whale watching in oregon. Whale watching trips oregon fishing charters columbia river. Dubbed as the whale watching capital of the oregon coast, depoe bay has whale watching almost year around.
Whale watching portland archives ecotours of oregon. Download our whale watching brochure to learn out about whale swimming patterns and habits, such as breaching, spyhopping and diving. In washington, whale watching boils down to the waters around vancouver island. We deliver fun, narrated ocean, bay, and river cruises with friendly. Whale watching oregon depoe bay is known world wide as the whale watching capital and dockside charters offers premier whale watching excursions. Whale watching trips oregon fishing charters columbia. Tours are also launched at port townsend eastern entrance to the puget sound, anacortes on fidalgo island, port angeles at the south coast. The oregon parks and recreation department has started the whale watching spoken here program with volunteers manning the 26 stations along the coast for two weeks in order to give the visitors as much information about the whales as possible. During the spring migration is when the whales move closer to shore and will stop to feed. The oregon parks and recreation whale watching center on depoe bay, about 160 kilometers southeast of portland, is a great place to see gray whales making their biyearly migrations between alaska and mexico. Best time to see oregon whales whales tail charters. Whale watching tour combines a scenic coast tour with the excitement of seeing 40ton gray whales up close on the pacific ocean. Whale research ecoexcursions whale watching, cafe, and museum will be closed for the duration of quarantine. In original service only from 1871 to 1874 before the commissioning of the nearby brighter yaquina head light eliminated its necessity.
Middecember to february, march to june oregon features sprawling coastlines that beckon to whalewatchers. Gray whales migrate close to the coastline making it great for viewing from the shore or better yet from a whale watching excursion boat. A lot of tour operators offer both classic and kayak tours there. Leave plenty of time for sightseeing tours you wouldnt want to miss out on top attractions like this one and many more. Whalewatching enjoy port orford overlooking oregons. We can also see whales in migration in late decemberearly january and from aprilmay. Depoe bay is your destination for all gray whales on the oregon coast. Depoe bay is the whale watching capital on the oregon coast. Look for everything from grey whales to tiny plankton.
Depoe bay is the whale watching capital and dockside charters offers premier whale watching excursions. Whale watching california grey whales to take advantage of the california gray whales 12,000mile migratory route from a gold beach standpoint, southbound migrating whales move past the oregon coast dec. The migration is so popular that there are whale watching spoken here programs places where volunteers at great whale watching sites during whale watching weeks help folks see and learn about whales and the migration. The season typically goes from middecember through october. Oregon the best tips for whale watching in oregon whaletrips. Middecember to february, march to june oregon features sprawling coastlines that beckon to whale watchers. Marine discovery tours whale watching, sea life discovery, and local history tours for groups and individuals. We will spend the day exploring breathtaking beaches and viewing stunning coastline vistas. Once youve seen giant gray whales spy hopping and breaching their way through the water, youll become as addicted as we are to scanning the horizon for those telltale vapor spouts. Whaletrips oregon the best tips for whale watching in. Learn about the whales of the world, and the natural and local history of oregon.
This tour will travel along one of the most picturesque driving routes in the country, us hwy 101. No volunteers will be stationed for the spring whale watch week, set march 2129, to help slow the spread of covid19. Apr 06, 2018 oregon whale watching tours the whales tail is dedicated to ensuring that your time spent whale watching with us is the highlight of your vacation. Because small craft advisories can occur unexpectedly and ecotours of oregon places the highest priority on safety, on rare occasions we are only able do the sightseeing parts of the tour.
The best whalewatching spots are port orford heads, cape blanco and battle rock park. December to early february is the time to find gray whales migrating south along the oregon coastline. The dockside charters whale watching fleet features 50 foot delta charter boats that are clean and comfortable, united states coast guard inspected and certified. The annual migration of the gray whales actually covers a course stretching from alaska to baja, but it is in the winter and early spring that oregon coast whale watching is best. During the winter months of december through february and the spring months of march through may, our vessels head offshore west from the harbor to find the migrating pods of gray whales.
Oregon whale watching tours the whales tail is dedicated to ensuring that your time spent whale watching with us is the highlight of your vacation. The trip down oregon coast highway hwy 101 was made at a leisurely pace, as we stopped frequently to scan the ocean for whale spouts at picturesque spots like roads end state recreation site, just north of lincoln city. The ultimate oregon coast road trip all the best stops. Each winter some 20,000 great grays swim along the shore south from alaskas bering sea to the warmwater. Tours are also launched at port townsend eastern entrance to the puget sound, anacortes on. This was a great addition to our vacation on the oregon coast.