NOAA/Merrill Gosho

Migrating gray whales will once again be passing along the Oregon coast this winter, where visitors and volunteers will gather for the annual Winter Whale Watch Week. 



The five-day event is organized by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and will run from Dec. 27 to 31, coinciding with the passing of some 20,000 gray whales headed south to their warm breeding grounds near Baja, Mexico. 

The parks department will staff trained volunteers at 24 designated whale watching locations all along the coast, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on each of the five days of the event, to help with whale sightings and education. 



The gray whales will pass again in late March, as they head north to feeding grounds off the shore of Alaska, with some feeding off the Oregon coast through spring and summer.  The parks department will host Spring Whale Watch Week from March 23 to 31, 2019. 

Spotting gray whales takes patience, and not every trip to the coast will guarantee a sighting, but the experience of seeing the huge, graceful animals in the open ocean is unforgettable.  If you’re looking for a good place to see the migrating whales, or need some tips on how to spot them, check out our previous coverage:

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How to see whales on the Oregon coast

6 spectacular whale watching spots in Oregon

Whales you can see in the Pacific Northwest, and how to identify them

30 reasons to love the Oregon coast in the winter

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Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

Whale Watching at the stone shelter atop Cape Perpetua on the central Oregon coast. 

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

Depoe Bay whale watching by Zodiac, with Whale Research Eco Excursions. 

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

A gray whale breaks the surface during a whale watching tour with Carrie Newell at Depoe Bay. 

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Lori Tobias/The Oregonian

Visitors watch for whales at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay. 

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Courtesy of Oregon State Parks

The spray of migrating gray whales is often the first clue that massive mammals are in the area. 

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Courtesy of Carrie Newell

A gray whale breaks the surface as a whale watching tour in Depoe Bay looks on. 

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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