Huge grey whales pass by in spring and early winter, plus there are groups of resident whales. Many of our charter boat members run whale watching trips contact them directly for schedules and rates. People come from all over the world to learn about the gray whales that travel along the oregon coast each year. This weekend marks the beginning of whale watching week on the oregon coast, which annually takes place right after. Dead whale shuts down central oregon coast beach two legendary. In the winter we watch nearly 20,000 gray whales from middecember through midjanuary as they travel south to the warm lagoons of baja mexico. This was a great addition to our vacation on the oregon coast. Our boats provide passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer service, seamanship, first class vessels, and highest possible safety standards. During the christmas and spring school vacations, the oregon parks department and the oregon division of fish and wildlife join private sponsors to conduct whale watching weeks. Your guide to whale watching in cannon beach, oregon the. Park staff are ready at the whale watching center to answer your questions and help you spot gray whales. Make sure to head to cannon beach to see gray whales off the coast in ecola state park or from a variety of other viewpoints.
We have an incredible selection of properties located in arch cape, rockaway beach, cannon beach, and manzanita. Its highly unusual for juvenile whales to come ashore alive in oregon, according to bruce mate, director of the hatfield marine science center at oregon state university. The depoe bay whale watching center is also closed. Whale watching center oregon state parks and recreation. To go to the macromedia site and load flash, click here site design by stuart kisvarday. Find cheap deals and discount rates among them that best fit your budget. 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 beach takes its name from the 1922 discovery of a cannon from the wreckage of the uss shark. On november 12, 1970, the oregon department of transportation blew up a dead whale that had washed up on a florence beach. Photo by beth wise youll have one whopper of a fish story if you take the time to watch for the magnificent gray whales passing the oregon coast during one of their twiceyearly migrations. Browse expedias selection of 907 hotels and places to stay closest to whale watching center. After your day of whale watching on the oregon coast, return to one of the stunning homes from starfish vacation rentals.
All rates for the grey whale inn are based on season and differ with each room. Located along the seawall in scenic depoe bay, the center is a perfect spot for. Blue indicates that some, but not all, facilities are accessible. Oregon state parks made this decision to protect the health and safety of our volunteers and visitors. Weighing in at 35 tons, some of cannon beachs largest parttime residents frequent what might be considered the outskirts of town. Posted by outdoor project contributor vanessa ball december 1, 2017. The season typically goes from middecember through october. Southern oregon coast whale watching charter boat and air services are also available for modest fees at many locations for even closer experiences of gray whales and other sea life. The top destination for whale watching in oregon is depoe bay, effectively oregons whale watching capital. 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. British council relates covid19 to oregons exploded whale koin. The gray whale makes the longest journey traveling 1014 thousand miles round trip from feeding grounds to breeding lagoons.
Washington coast whale watching beachcombers nw blog. Whale park in cannon beach, oregon on the lewis and clark. The dates of whale watching week in 2020 are march 2129 and dec. There are places, of course, where the holiday animal traditions run to reindeer, and others featuring cuddly bears.
Hiking, fishing charters, crabbing, whale watching, cycling and more are all within a short drive or bike ride of cannon beach. Whales tail charters is dedicated to ensuring that your time spent whale watching with us is the highlight of your oregon vacation. Mate said the last such incident was in 1979, when a young sperm whale became stranded on a lincoln city beach. Your guide to whale watching in cannon beach, oregon december 20th cannon beach, neighborhood insight each year, nearly 20,000 gray whales travel along the oregon coast between alaska and mexico and can easily be spotted off the shoreline at cannon beach. We can also see whales in migration in late decemberearly january and from aprilmay. What you need to know about whale watching on the oregon. Whale watching in cannon beach, oregon tolovana inn. About 18,000 grey whales migrate from the baja coast to the waters off alaska from late march through may. Internet downloads of all time, it simply blew chunks of the whale all over the. Whale watching season kicked off in november and continues throughout the winter months. Dead whale shuts down central oregon coast beach two legendary sections of the oregon coast were shut down sunday due to a rare whale.
The city of cannon beach is closed to visitors at this time. The city of cannon beach is closed to visitors during this current health crisis. In order to respect the health of our community and safety of our public places. Highway 101 follows the pacific ocean for the entire stretch of the oregon coast, passing several small towns, state parks, rv campgrounds and resorts. Awardwinning ales, panfried mahi mahi, and beerbattered fries will fuel you up for more whale. An 8ton, 45footlong sperm whale, dead for some time, washed up on the pacific ocean beach south of florence, ore. There is now better footage of that time oregon blew up a. 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. The three best whale watching spots along the oregon coast are usually depoe bay, cape perpetua and cape lookout. Visit us when we are able to serve you at our best. Walk our sandy beach crowned by haystack rock an oregon icon, and you will begin to see why we love this stretch of the oregon coast.
Oregon, located a bit further south, benefits from the annual migration of the gray whales. A beautiful view of newport and the lighthouse from the ocean. About 200 whales dont make the complete trip and linger along the central oregon coast for most of the year. One of the most scenic and popular parks on the coast, ecola state park north of cannon beach is an idyllic place to go whale watching, even if. Depoe bay is the whale watching capital on the oregon coast. This years spring whale watch week is scheduled march 2431, 2018, which also is spring break for many oregon students. Best places to go whale watching on the oregon coast for rvers. Below are some popular spots to see whales from land. Save on popular hotels near whale watching center, oregon coast. Oregon coast whale watching charter boats run whale.
During whale watching weeks, trained volunteers are there to answer questions and provide information that can enhance your whale watching experience check out their website. No volunteers will be stationed for the spring whale watch week, set march 2129, to help slow the spread of covid19. The whale watch center at depoe bay is one of the most dependable locations to spot whales yearround. 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. Pig n pancake astoria, cannon beach, seaside is an oregon coast classic. Cannon beach adventures things to do hiking, fishing. Carcass of giant blue whale brought to surface for study oregon. At the north end of the town of cannon beach, just off of hemlock street, a wooden sculpture of a whale. Whale watching on the oregon coast for the new year. Whale watching season begins cannon beach history center. Whale watching on the oregon coast and washington coast. Try the homemade banana pancakes with orangepineapple syrup. When a whale surfaces, it exhales a burst of water and vapor up to 12 feet in the air.
Ecola state park, just north of cannon beach, is a spectacular spot for whale watching and is incredibly popular. Download our whale watching brochure to learn out about whale swimming. Also in the works is a video of the work featuring gray whales and their effort to feed successfully on the 40 mile stretch of coast. Whale watching admirals beach retreat oregon coast. Whaletrips oregon the best tips for whale watching in. Watching whales from shore is best from a high vantage point such as cape kiwanda on a calm day. In what was called a controlled explosion, they used a. Dockside charters runs whale watching excursions on a daily basis during our whale watching season. Seeing the tufted puffins that nest on haystack rock is a special experience, but the cannon beach area offers many.
Popular attractions chinook winds casino and theatre west are located nearby. The oregon coasts best places for whale watching oregon. During past spring whale watch weeks, more than 1,800 great grays have been spotted along the oregon coast, drawing more than 20,000 visitors. A deposit of one nights lodging is required to confirm reservations personal checks, visa or mc. Whales are spotted by watching for their spout as they surface. For more information on the whale watching spoken here program call the depoe bay whale center at 541 7653407 or 541 8883732. Gray whales are the most commonly seen type of whale along the oregon coast and can often be spotted just off the shoreline of cannon beach. Enjoy encounters with an astonishing variety of wildlife and sea life. 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. Whale watching is not difficult, but a few tips make it easier. Gray whales are the most commonly seen type of whale along the oregon coast and. A map of the city of cannon beach, prepared by the state of oregon and the federal highway administration, is available for download. This is an excellent tour that checks many items off the list 1 viewing whales 2. Top 10 hotels closest to whale watching center in oregon.
See our coronavirus update page for the latest details. Cannon beach locals and spring break visitors had the opportunity to spot gray whales swimming north, part of the 6,000mile roundtrip migration the mammals make each year. One of the most scenic and popular parks on the coast, ecola state park north of cannon beach is an idyllic place to go whale watching, even if your fellow tourists outnumber gray whales by. Home to the depoe bay whale watching center and the worlds smallest navigable harbor, this coastal town is where many of the resident gray whales hang out in summer and fall, feeding on the abundance of mysid shrimp. Providing quality jewelry since 1986, golden whale is located in beautiful cannon beach, oregon. Any location with an ocean view may yield whale sightings, and morning light with the sun at your back is best. Activities and things to do abound on the oregon coast, with thrillseekers getting their fill of adventure in and around cannon beach. Oregons whale of a tradition an excerpt from a column written by david sarasohn, in the oregonian, 12282014. Grey whale inn your guide to cannon beach, oregon, usa. Although some whales remain off our coast during warmer months, the best time to spot these amazing behemoths is during the peak of their twiceannual migratory passage between mexico and alaska. Enjoy free wifi, free parking, and a balcony or patio.
Cannon beach, oregon there are hundreds of public beaches along the oregon coast and they are a popular spot to visit during spring break. We proudly present designs from the artists we represent, as well as selections of our own designs. The locations are arranged in a north to south order. Best time to see oregon whales whales tail charters. Depoe bay is home to the whale watching center and a hot spot for whale watching on the central oregon coast. Whale is an outdoor wooden sculpture of a grey whale, located in cannon beach, oregon, united states. Welcome to whale park in cannon beach, oregon above image whale park, cannon beach, oregon ecola creek in background, pacific ocean beyond ecola term for whale in the native language of chinook near cannon beach, oregon on january 8, 1806, captain clark measured and documented the remains of a whale skeleton. Whale watching on the oregon coast the official guide to. Les shirley park and whale park virtual tour of cannon beach, oregon coast youll find les shirley park a quaint little park at the north side of the bridge, next to. Explorations can also be had in the surrounding north coast towns of seaside, gearhart, astoriawarrenton, manzanita, tillamook and. Beautifully wooded natural setting at quiet south end of cannon beach. Each year, nearly 20,000 gray whales travel along the oregon coast between alaska and mexico and can easily be spotted off the shoreline at. Whale watching is a yearround activity on the oregon coast with gray whales by far the most commonly seen. A blue whale carcass that has been submerged off the oregon coast for.
We will also have land based beach cleanups and educational opportunities at various lookout locations for the general public. The central coast in particular is a hotspot for whales from june to midnovember. Whale watching on the oregon coast is a great deal of fun for the whole family. Whales are visible from oregons shores all year long although some months are better than others. This whale watching tour is seasonal the best season is june through october. While whales can be seen year round on the oregon coast, the winter and spring months are the best times for seeing these enormous creatures. The original footage of the exploding whale first appeared on katu channel 2 portland, or, in 1970. Theres a little something for everyone whether you just want to relax by the beach, browse the local oceanthemed shops, or simply grab some binoculars and watch for gray whales. Enjoy the article below on oregon coast whale watching and contact ecola state park for more information. The only downtime is november and the beginning of december.
The central coast in particular is a hotspot for whales from june to mid november. During the spring migration is when the whales move closer to shore and will stop to feed. Whale watching in cannon beach happens twice a year, in winter and spring. In the winter, the mighty mammals pass along the shoreline, heading from alaska waterways to the lagoons of baja california where mamma whales fatten up and welcome their newborns.