Spring whale watching kicks off in March; trained volunteers not on site this year
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The spring whale migration begins in March, and the best whale watching sites are open at your favorite coastal parks, although trained volunteers won’t be on site. The Spring Whale Week hosted by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and volunteers is canceled for 2022.
Although the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay remains closed, OPRD is bringing back the popular whale watching livestream on the Oregon State Parks YouTube channel. The livestreams are scheduled daily March 21-25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Whale Watch Center will reopen to visitors in late spring.
Designated whale watching sites offer the best chances of spotting whales because of their locations, usually slightly elevated above the ocean and in areas where whales are more easily seen.
Some 25,000 gray whales will pass by Oregon's shores from late March to June, on their way to cool Alaskan waters. Many will be accompanied by their calves, born during the winter in the warm lagoons off the coast of Baja, Mexico.
