Depoe Bay Whale Watching
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.
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.
Depoe Bay Whale Watching Report Archive...
Depoe Bay is the Whale Watching Capital and Dockside Charters offers Premier Whale Watching Excursions.
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.
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.
Whale watching report archive...
(541) 765-2545
