Get your binoculars: Oregon’s Winter Whale Watch Week has begun

John Ross Ferrara
·1 min read

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Winter Whale Watch Week begins on the Oregon coast Wednesday as thousands of gray whales are making their annual journey from Alaska to Baja Mexico.

Oregon State Parks has positioned trained volunteers at 15 whale-watching sites across the coast to help visitors spot the migrating whales and provide interesting information about the majestic mammals. The whale-watching guides are available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day between Dec. 27 and Dec. 31.

<em>This photo provided by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department shows a Whale Watch Week volunteer try to spot gray whales with binoculars from the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay, Ore., on Wed., Dec. 28, 2022. (Stefanie Knowlton/Oregon Parks and Recreation Department via AP)</em>
This photo provided by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department shows a Whale Watch Week volunteer try to spot gray whales with binoculars from the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay, Ore., on Wed., Dec. 28, 2022. (Stefanie Knowlton/Oregon Parks and Recreation Department via AP)

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Park rangers like Peter McBride are also stationed at the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay year-round to share whale information with visitors.

“We are excitedly waiting for the migration of the gray whales to come down from Alaska,” McBride said in a press release. “We really enjoy sharing the experience with visitors. It’s been a tradition at Oregon State Parks for more than 40 years.”

OSP is asking visitors to share their whale-watching photos and videos from the 2023 Winter Whale Watch Week on social media using the hashtags #OregonStateParks and #ORWhaleWatch23 so everyone can enjoy the annual migration.

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