RV snowbirds aren’t the only ones migrating north this time of year. The spring gray whale migration is underway now, too, and Oregon State Parks along the coast are popular places to watch them swim by on their way to Alaska. Whales are visible from Oregon’s shores all year long, although some months including March through June are better than others.
The Spring Whale Week hosted by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) and volunteers has been canceled for 2022 due to limited staff and budget restrictions caused by COVID restrictions.
The Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay remains closed, but OPRD is bringing back its popular whale watching livestream on the Oregon State Parks YouTube channel daily March 21-25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Whale Watch Center will reopen to visitors in late spring 2022.
Designated whale watching sites offer the best chances of spotting whales because of their locations, usually slightly elevated above the ocean and in areas where whales are more easily seen. To learn more about the best places to observe the migration visit the Oregon State Parks website.
Some 25,000 gray whales will pass by Oregon’s shores from late March to June on their way to cool Alaskan waters. Many will be accompanied by their calves, born during the winter in the warm lagoons off the coast of Baja, Mexico.
##RVT1044b
