FROM TOP:COURTESY OF DAVE LACEY / SOUTH COAST TOURS; COURTESY OF ODFW SPOTTING MIGRATING WHALES Visitors to the Oregon Coast get a front-row view of one of the world’s great animal migrations: Every spring and fall, about 20,000 massive gray whales travel along Oregon’s coastline, part of a 12,000-mile (19,312-km) journey between their summer home in the Bering Sea and warmer winter waters of Baja California, Mexico. Some whales decide to stay put right here, so it’s possible to see gray whales in Oregon any time of year. WHEN AND WHERE Spring migration along Oregon begins in March and continues until June. Winter brings a more concentrated migration, typically focused on the month of December. Visit ORWhaleWatch.org for a map of recommended locations like capes and headlands. In December and late March, Oregon State Parks hosts its Oregon Whale Watch program at prime viewing sites along the Coast, with binocular-equipped volunteers who help spot passing pods. Summer and fall are ideal for viewing hundreds of resident whales. Get out on a whale-watching tour to see them; they often frequent Depoe Bay, the waters near Cape Perpetua, and between Port Orford and Gold Beach. See VisitTheOregonCoast.com/ Activities for tour operators. LEARN MORE Find exhibits about the gray whale at Oregon State Parks Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay. Learn more about other sea creatures at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Charleston Marine Life Center and the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. Depoe Bay Near Port Orford 12 VISITTHEOREGONCOAST.COM
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