Whale watching sites listed
From our weekly issue dated December 23, 2009
Two possible experiences await Winter Whale Watch week sight-seers on the Oregon coast, and either one, observes Oregon State Park Ranger Morris Grover, “is exciting.”
A clear sky and a calm ocean offer the possibility of exceptional whale-watching this time of year, says Grover.
“Even when conditions are far less than ideal, Grover adds that the chances of seeing whales from Saturday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Jan. 1 improve significantly at the 26 selected “Whale Watching Spoken Here” overlooks. Trained volunteers are ready to help at the sites from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.
All but two of the overlooks are spaced along the Oregon coast between Crescent City, Calif. and Washington’s Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center on Cape Disappointment.
The other “exciting experience” occurs when the weather turns stormy and the sea gets wild. The same viewpoints then become prime storm-watching sites.
Whether looking for whales or to experience a storm, Grover advises watchers to bring binoculars and wear layered clothing. The top layer should be waterproof.
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Marine mammal experts estimate that 18,000 Gray whales and approximately 1,100 Humpback whales pass the Oregon coast at the peak of their winter migration south to the waters off the Baja California peninsula.
Prime whale-watching locations on the south coast include: Cape Ferrelo Overlook (Brookings), Harris Beach State Park (Brookings), Brother Jonathan Vista Point (Crescent City), Shore Acres State Park (Charleston), Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint (Bandon), Cape Blanco Lighthouse (Port Orford), Battle Rock Wayfinding Point (in Port Orford) and Cape Sebastian State Scenic Corridor Overlook (Gold Beach).
A map of all sites with more information on the program is at whalespoken.org.
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