Neah Bay offers a unique and promising opportunity for Whale Watching and Makah cultural-based ecotourism.
Migratory whales are observable in spring and autumn.
However, the resident gray whales which inhabit Neah Bay and the surrounding area offer whale watching opportunities which extend throughout and beyond the summer months. The waters of Neah Bay also provide greater protection from high seas than the more off-shore whale watch operations along the coast. Neah Bay also offers what might be the only opportunity to reliably view sea otters in the Pacific Northwest as well. Sea otters have been blamed for declining Makah fisheries since the otter's recent return to this region. However, sea otters have the potential of generating even more income to the Makah people through ecotourism than they cause in losses to fisheries.