Start your pacific coast tour in charming seattle, end in san francisco, and overnight also in portland, newport, coos bay, and eureka. Trained volunteers stationed at thirty locations on or near the oregon coast provide information and. Afternoon halfday multnomah falls and columbia river gorge waterfalls tour from portland. A sampling of seattle, the beautiful oregon coast, and san francisco make this magnificent journey along the pacific coast one youll remember. One of the best kept secrets in oregon is that there are traveling and resident california gray whales along the central oregon coast from late march through november. Depoe bay is the whale watching capital on the oregon coast. If its a nice day, and there are whales to be seen, theres a chance that a whale watching tour is out looking for them too. Maine whale watching with odyssey whale watch, portland, maine. This tour is perfect for people who are in portland for a few days but dont want to rent a car but do want to see more of oregon. If the whale flag is flying outside the portland visitor information centre there is a great chance visitors will catch a glimpse of southern right whales, which often visit portland and cape bridgewater bays in. You get great views on your one hour of fun and excitement on a.
There are tons of things to do in this super likable city, and weve rounded up the best of them. Remember that everyday is an excellent day to go whale watching with dockside charters. A lot of tour operators offer both classic and kayak tours there. From the loud speaker, the captain explained exactly what we should be looking for and when and where we should be watching. One hour of fun and excitement on a personal scenic tour of the beautiful oregon coast. Let odyssey whale watch take you on an adventure you wont forget, great fun and educational for the entire family. Whale watching in depoe bay zodiac style aboard the whales tail. Your support will go a long way in helping tour operators worldwide get back on their feet down the road. Dead sperm whale washes ashore, will not be moved the 36foot whale had been dead for quite some time, according to the seaside aquarium. Portland whale watching deals in portland, or groupon.
Learn about the whales of the world, and the natural and local history of oregon. Also whale excrement jump starts the food chain by excreting tons of iron and nitrogen into the environment and since whales excrete at the surface, this whale pump shifts nutrients from deeper in the water column to the surface. Oregon parks and recreation department park rangers are ready at the whale watching center in depoe bay to answer your questions and help you find whales to watch. Enjoy the ocean air, narration and sights of casco bay as we. Great mix of being in the car whist the tour guide provides info about the area and getting out at stops and spending time there. Join us at whales tail charters in depoe bay for an exciting and thrilling ride to see gray whales and other marine life. On november 9, 1970, a fortyfivefoot, eightton sperm whale washed ashore near florence on oregons south coast. Select from several whale watching cruise times daily and year round. Large groups and conventions include doortodoor transportation from the portland oregon metro area. The best time of day are mornings before the wind starts to blow, during the afternoon it can get windy, which has a tendency to blow the spouts down making it hard for people to see them. To take advantage of the california gray whales 12,000mile migratory route from a gold beach standpoint, southbound migrating whales move past the oregon coast dec.
A whale watch in the ocean waters of new england is an unforgettable adventure. The most reliable way to see the killer whales is still on a whale watching tour on the san juan islands. Tours are also launched at port townsend eastern entrance to the puget sound, anacortes on. Depoe bay has a year round group of resident whales, a whale museum and boat tours. Odyssey whale watching portland 2020 all you need to. I definitely recommend this company to anyone wanting to do a tour of portland area. Portland, oregon is known for breweries, green space and a quirky hipster vibe thats sure to make you fall in love. Join us at whale s tail charters in depoe bay for an exciting and thrilling ride to see gray whales and other marine life. Where to go whale watching in the western usa visit the usa. Whaleboats were central to the whaling industry, portlands main industry in the 1830s and early 1840s. Do you want to see a friendly summer resident gray whale harpooned and then shot with a 50 caliber gun to put it out of its misery.
Up to 20000 gray whales migrate along oregons coast every winter and spring. I was very excited since this is my first visit to portland and going on a whale watching tour has always been on my bucket list. Make a splash during whale watching week portland living on. Gray whales will be traveling north on their way to. Whale watching bandon whale watching spoken here whale watching spoken here is a volunteer gray whale watching program during peak migration times coinciding with winter and spring breaks. On the whale trail visit oregon, oregon vacation, oregon. Our boats are made for comfort, with restrooms on board, heated cabins and no life vests have to be worn. If you have a reservation we will be contacting you to refund or reschedule. Due to the increasing concerns regarding covid19, beginning march 22 nd, tradewinds charters of depoe bay has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend fishing and whale watching trips until april 1 st. If you had to pick a mascot for the oregon coast, you might choose the gray whale. Normally they live in the wide oceans and are therefore out of sight to all but the lucky few. Oregon, located a bit further south, benefits from the annual migration of the gray whales. One thing to know for a novice whale watcher like me, was that whales can only be sighted diving on the surface for a precious few seconds. From northern california to southern british columbia we have a small population of 232 gray whales that summer in these areas to feed.
Many beautiful coastal photosightseeing stops throughout the day. As not all gray whales travel all the way north but also spend their summers in the waters of oregon, sometimes joined by humpbacks, whale safaris are done all year long in oregons depoe bay and from newport. Moreover, each year there are about 200 to 400 resident gray whales in oregon. Whaling and whale boats played an important part in portlands economy in the early years of european settlement. Could i have seen a whale or dolphin the willamette. Whaletrips oregon the best tips for whale watching in. During the spring migration is when the whales move closer to shore and will stop to feed. Travel southwest from portland through the picturesque farmland of the. If you have a car you can get there and back in a day and have a little time there to watch out for the whales. Born and raised in belgium, bram reusen is now based in portland, oregon. Whales tail charters has made a decision to temporarily suspend our tours for a short time due to the covid19 crisis. Whale watching tour combines a scenic coast tour with the. Individuals and small groups include doortodoor transportation from the central portland oregon area. Join our captain as he sets course on a journey to view those majestic mammals in their own environment.
Last evening while i was riding the east side of the river i saw the back of a huge fackin animal come out of the water. Best whale watching depoe bay oregon tradewinds charters. In addition to the stench and the possibility that the body would burst, local officials were concerned that people curious about the carcass might climb on it and fall in. But with a little luck, its still possible to see orcas throughout the pacific northwest. Whale watching in oregon is also possible from the shore, without ever having to step foot on an oregon coast whale watching ship. Blue whales are the biggest creatures that have ever lived, they are sadly very rare. Whale watching is not difficult, but a few tips make it easier. Whale watching on the oregon coast our ordinary life. You dont have to rent a whale watching boat or have a powerful telescope to see the whales display the listed behaviors. A maine whale watching adventure awaits you aboard the odyssey. Falling out of the northward spring migration and sticking along the oregon coast in summer and fall, this group of whales offers reliable, yearround whale watching in oregon. The best place on the oregon coast to see whales is depoe bay.
New england whale watch tours discover new england. Any location with an ocean view may yield whale sightings, and morning light with the sun at your back is best. Spotting a breaching gray whale or orca while whale watching on the oregon coast is an absolute rush and is something youll never forget i vividly remember taking an extended tour and being out on a boat with my wife. Best time to see oregon whales whales tail charters. Port townsend and san juan island whalewatching tour from puget sound express up to 51% off. Tradewinds has been abiding by all recommendations from the state of oregon and the oregon. Our trips are fun, informative and interactive, our captains are devoted to making your oregon coast whale watching tour an experience of a lifetime. I believe i will actually return with family and will look forward to repeating the tour. From mustsee sights to the hidden gems, this is the ultimate list of things to do in portland. Each winter some 20,000 great grays swim along the shore south from alaskas bering sea to the warmwater. You can spot whales nearly yearround on the oregon coast. Oregon the best tips for whale watching in oregon whaletrips. Download our whale watching brochure to learn out about whale swimming patterns and habits, such as breaching, spyhopping and diving. Thanks to towering coastal bluffs and a string of beaches set aside as state parks, oregon offers visitors frontrow seats for whale watching.
A great way to beat the heat in the valley is with a whale watching excursion. An avid hiker and camper, hes traveled all over australia, europe. Whale watching tour is normally scheduled from 8 am to 5. We feel this is our best course of action and will be evaluating on a weekly basis. However there are a number of places where they can be seen close to.
Visit oregon, take a whale watching vacation to oregon, and enjoy a whale watching trip in oregon. Whale watching on the oregon coast travel portland. See orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, gray whales and all the majestic wildlife in the salish sea on our tour departing from edmonds just minutes north of downtown seattle. Blue whale watching from portland victoria heliexplore. We offer whale watching and sea life cruises daily from march through october. Depoe bay is your destination for all gray whales on the oregon coast. Weve rounded up five incredible whalewatching spots along the pacific, from alaska to hawaii. Whale watching tours pricing newport landing whale watching. We deliver fun, narrated ocean, bay, and river cruises with friendly. Evan is an awesome tour guide and very knowledgeable and really seems to love his job.
Whale sightings was fleeting, but a great trip there are a few minke whales close to the coast of portland, maine that can be sighted. Oregon whale watching oregon coast whale watching trips. It didnt have a big dorsal fin that i could glimpse, but it was smooth, large and moved slow because of its size. Oregon state parks is celebrating the incredible migration of whales from march 2129, 2020. Gray whales migrate along the oregon coast twice a year, once in spring as they are headed north and in winter when headed south. The whaling industry at portland was established in the early 1830s. I took my mother and 2 aunts on a trip that included 2 nights in portland, and this stay was a favorite. Whale watching is a yearround activity on the oregon coast with gray whales by far the most commonly seen. The only downtime is november and the beginning of december. Whale watching tour combines a scenic coast tour with the excitement of seeing 40ton gray whales up close on the pacific ocean. Whale watching on the oregon coast the official guide to portland. Theres a whale watch center there staffed by rangers and volunteers. The whale watching is at its absolute best at this time of the year and our skippers report excellent sightings on each excursion.