Whale Watching in Depoe Bay. Best in Oregon

Whale Watching Report:

03/26/2024

Looks like some unfavorable weather the next three days thru Friday but the weekend into next week looks pretty nice so the office will have the information for you on trips going out this weekend and beyond. Looks like rain and wind and some moderate swells heading our way for the next three days.


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Depoe Bay is the Whale Watching Capital and Dockside Charters offers Premier Whale Watching Excursions.







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Depoe Bay Whale Watching

Oregon Coast Whale Watching Tours!

Dockside Charters runs whale watching excursions on a daily basis during our whale watching season. The season typically goes from mid-December through October. Our whale watching season actually is two part: migration and residential. The migratory season begins in December and usually extends until mid May. Mid to late May is when our “resident” whales begin to arrive. Our resident whales are a group of roughly 20 whales that, though they do migrate don’t go all the way to the Bering Sea but rather feed during the summer season within just a few miles of Depoe Bay and stay in the area until late October. The same whales return year after year and we are able to identify returning whales by their individual markings and the skippers even have them named.

Pacific Gray Whales have the longest migration of any animal on earth going from the Bering Sea to the Baja Peninsula and even into the Sea of Cortez. Their migration allows calves to be born in the warm waters of the Baja lagoons, that is vital to the survival of the newborns because they have no insulating blubber layer at birth. As the new calves and their mothers slowly migrate North the calves gain about nine to ten pounds per day. What makes that even more remarkable is the fact that the cows (mother gray whales) feed very little if at all during the migration. This is often quite evident by the physical appearance of the cows when they reach Depoe Bay, they are literally racks of skin and bones, having used their fat reserves to support the calves during migration.

After they arrive here feeding is the priority. Pacific Gray Whales are baleen feeders, they filter food they need from the water by straining it through their baleen plates. Organisms they feed on are quite small, one of the whales most important food sources are Mysid Shrimp. Mysid Shrimp live in and around kelp forests and never get more than about a half inch in length. They resemble mosquito larva more than shrimp and the whales will consume up to 2000 pounds of them a day. At other times they will feed on copepods they filter by taking mouthfuls of muck from the bottom or even skim feed on schools of very small fish.


Whale Watching Depoe Bay

Humpback and Blues whales are also seen occasionally though not as frequently as Gray Whales. We are fortunate here in Depoe Bay to have whales nearby for us to see for most of the year.

At Dockside Charters we run our Whale Watching excursions from safe comfortable 50 foot Delta Charter boats. They are Coast Guard Certified and have everything required for your safety and piece of mind. They have all the amenities: comfortable heated cabins, rest rooms, indoor seating, seating out on deck. You are able to walk all the way around the boats and are elevated above the water for excellent whale sightings. Our captains have decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge they share during the excursions making them interpretive tours. Our boats have access doors to walk on and off with ease or provide wheel chair access. We can accommodate large groups.

Reservations are recommended for our whale watching tours, to make yours call 541-765-2545

Whale watching excursions seven days a week, subject to marine conditions.


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Archived Whale Watching Reports:

03/24/2024

Excellent whale watching today as the northerly migration is in full swing. We had quite a number of whale watch trips on multiple boats and were seeing 2-4 whales on all of the 1 and 2 hour trips. It\'s a great time to watch the migratory whales and we have another two good days of weather coming up and then a possible change by mid-week. So get down here in the next few days to see the Gray whales swimming by Depoe Bay.

03/14/2024

Hey folks-and all of you whale watchers. The northerly migration of the Gray whales has started as we are seeing whales pass by the area. Today on our one whale watch trip we did see two out there on the trip moving slowly by so it will only get better as the days move on here. Give our office a call as the weather at least for the next week or so looks really good.

03/11/2024

As several states including Oregon in our western zone the ocean weather seems to be improving hopefully as the forecast is indicating. Beginning next Thursday the ocean weather is forecasted to be really nice and it is also forecasted to be that way pretty much thru at least the middle of the next week. Should be a good time to call the Dockside office and make those reservations for both fishing and or whale watching.

03/09/2024

Things look like rough oceans will be in our future for the next 5-6 days. The ocean weather appears for now from the extended forecast to be rough seas with wind and rain. Things appear right now to be settling down with the rain going away and the ocean swells coming down by next Thursday to where we should be able to get out there for some whale watching. We will keep you in touch as we watch the forecast daily.



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03/04/2024

We\'re only about two weeks away from the historically beginning of the northerly migration of the Gray whales coming by the Depoe Bay Area. So make your plans soon to see this yearly event as there have been a few spotted already. We will be running daily trips ocean weather permitting.

01/26/2024

As we prepare for the 2024 whale watch seasons we are beginning to be part of the sportsman shows which will be taking place at various sites for the next month or so. This weekend Friday thru Sunday we are at the Tri-Cities sportsman show which is in Pasco, Washington at the HAPO Center. Drop by and meet some of our staff and talk about the upcoming whale watching best times.

01/15/2024

The power outage in Depoe Bay came to an end Monday evening at around 5:30pm and the office will re-open tomorrow morning.

01/14/2024

Hey folks, because of the very tough weather the Central Oregon Coast is having which has been going on for days now no electrical power or internet service is available. We will let you know as soon as things down here improve.



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12/31/2023

A small retraction from last post so to. be honest as we can be on one of the trips out to see the whales today we failed to find any. On this northerly migration these whales are moving right along so one hour you see them right out front and then the next trip out they are already to far north to find them so you need to pick up a new pod of them moving from the south.

12/31/2023

We took out over 350 people today on whale watch trips and tomorrow looks like an even calmer day on the ocean waters than today. We will begin the trips around 12:30pm tomorrow, New Year\'s Day so give our office a call for reservations.

12/30/2023

Hey folks we have some decent weather coming up the next two days and we have lots of boats and quite a few whale watchers already signed up to go New Year\'s Eve day and New Year\'s Day. Give us a call and make some reservations to watch the northerly migration in full swing.

12/29/2023

A Happy New Year to all of our past, present and future customers for a happy and prosperous 2024. Spring is coming and so is the better weather so the staff and captains of Dockside Charters hope to see you soon in this new year.



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12/23/2023

As the twinkling lights brighten our streets and homes, we, here at Dockside Charters, would like to pause and extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones during this holiday season.

12/21/2023

This is the time of year that the migrating whales begin to make their return journey from the Mexican waters. As of this morning the fishing boats have spotted some migrating whales so make some plans to come see one of the oldest migrations known to man. We also have spotted some whales feeding in the area so they are out there and around the Depoe Bay area. Because this is winter the ocean quite often is not cooperative so please give our office a call to check in on the best times to schedule and come down when the ocean weather is decent.

11/22/2023

The skippers and staff at Dockside Charters would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving Day.

11/21/2023

For the rest of this week there are a few days \"that might\" pan out for some cruise trips but best idea is to keep in touch with the Dockside office on what might be available as we try to put some trips together. The weather this time of year can be day to day and sometimes week to week. There are some forecasts models that look like the beginning of next week look pretty good for several days so keep that in the back of your mind.



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11/17/2023

We are running cruises on the days when we can get out there and believe it or not we are still seeing whales out there as historically by this time they are under way down to the Mexican waters returning around the Christmas holidays. They are however out there as we are running cruises today and tomorrow (Saturday).

11/07/2023

We will give the whale watch reports from this point forward during the winter months as it relates to the northerly migration which will begin around the Christmas and NewYears holiday season. This time of the year the whales leave the area to follow the migration to the south. We will give you updates as we get closer to the holiday season and our operating times as well as ocean weather reports.

11/03/2023

As we get closer to winter the weather becomes an issue more and more each and every week. There will be some really nice days as there always are even in the dead of winter but the next 4+ days appear to be wet, windy with pretty tough looking ocean conditions. Best bet is to keep in touch with the Dockside office as they are open every day to answer any of your questions.

10/30/2023

The ocean weather thru Wednesday sounds good for whale watching so give our office a cal if interested in some really good fall whale watching. Thursday sounds like a rainy windy day but Friday thru the weekend could be OK so give our office a call for updates.



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10/28/2023

The whales are still around really close to the city so still a good time to get out and see them when the ocean weather is nice. Soon they will be leaving the area heading out to the southerly migration down to the Mexican waters for the winter.

10/18/2023

Looks like one more day of moderate swells out in front of Depoe Bay but the ocean weather for Friday thru Sunday looks good for ocean activities. Call Dockside for information and to make a reservation.

10/15/2023

Won\'t be doing a lot of whale watching in the next few days as we have a storm series that will affect the ocean conditions thru at least Thursday with Friday possibly a go. Next weekend as of now looks pretty good so call the Dockside office for any ocean updates and what we are seeing from the shoreline and the ocean weather reports.

10/10/2023

We\'re going thru another early fall weather cycle at least thru Wednesday and possibly Thursday. Basically heavy seas will be with us into the evening Wednesday and right now Thursday is still a toss up. Contact the Dockside office for more up to date information. The weekend right now including Friday looks pretty nice.



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09/29/2023

Getting around that time of the season when the whale migration begins to move to the south into the Mexico waters where the breeding takes place. That has not happened yet as they are still in the area in good numbers so come down and see them.

09/27/2023

After four days of really rough oceans, rain and wind things are coming back to nice fall weather beginning Friday thru the weekend. Looks like a nice time to get out on a whale watch trip with Dockside Charters.

09/24/2023

We will be off the water for at least three days thru Wednesday so keep in touch with the office on when we will be returning running trips. Lots of rain and wind on the way.

09/21/2023

No whale watch trips today as after the fishing trips in the morning the ocean swelled up again so we canceled for the day. As of early evening the ocean was coming down and should be a nice day tomorrow.



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09/18/2023

We will be off the water today and Tuesday and hope to be back out there by Wednesday. We will keep you informed as the end oof the week and the weekend lipoids like nicer weather returning.

09/16/2023

The whales are still in the area with 2-3 whales were spotted just south of the bell buoy out about a half mile offshore. Normally the whales that have been here all summer will remain in the area until sometime in the first half of October until the southerly migration goes by.