Whale Watch Week starts Dec. 27 on the Oregon Coast

If you want to see a whale off the coast of Oregon, this weekend is a good time to do it. Whale Watch Week this year runs from Dec. 27-31.

Gray whales are migrating south, from summer feeding grounds off the coast of Alaska down to the lagoons of Mexico, to give birth.

As they swim past Oregon, it’s possible to see their breathing spouts and even some acrobatic feeding behaviors, such as headstands, upside-down swimming, and bubble blasts.

Oregon State Park spokesperson Mike Baden said a team of rangers and trained volunteers will be stationed at 14 sites along the coast to help.

“The volunteers and rangers are trained on how to help people spot them. We look for the spouts and the kind of time it is, so we can tell the progression of when they’re passing by,” Baden said.

The volunteers are spread from Fort Stevens State Park, near the wreck of the Peter Iredale, to Cape Meares Lighthouse and the Cape Perpetua Turnaround.

“So the whales have been up in Alaska,” Baden said. “Now they’re headed down to the warmer waters of Baja, and that’s where a lot of them will birth their calves. So, they’ll spend the winter months down there. Once they’re ready to head back north, they’ll head back, usually around late March, early April.”

Whale watchers will also be able to see other coastal animals, like birds and sea lions. Visitors are encouraged to dress for the winter weather, bring binoculars, and follow beach safety guidelines such as keeping an eye on the surf.

“This is a great time to see one of the world’s longest migrations, as the gray whales are traveling by our coastline,” said park ranger Peter McBride.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the end of an unusual mortality event affecting gray whales in 2023, when it appeared the population was rebounding.

But since then, the population has declined to its lowest level since the 1970s. NOAA now estimates there are about 13,000 gray whales along the West Coast.