Here are some favorite local spots to watch for them: Ecola State Park Also, be respectful to others, wear face coverings and maintain proper physical distancing from visitors not in your group. State park staff encourage everyone on their own to visit the whale watching sites and recommend if a location is too crowded, please find another spot. (State Parks Whale Watching info)ĭuring this unprecedented time, trained volunteers and staff will not be available at the 24 designated whale watching sites along the Oregon Coast, most viewing sites managed by Oregon State Parks remain open-expect reduced services in some locations. During these two one-week programs at the end of March and December, visitors can find volunteers daily who will help them spot the beautiful giants.

Oregon State Parks coordinate a whale watching program at several spots along the coastline, including the nearby Neahkahnie Mountain viewpoints. The typical peak of their spring migration happens mid-March to mid-April and winter migration reaches its peak mid-December to mid-January. During these migrations, approximately 18,000 whales travel along the Pacific Coast over 12,000 miles round trip to and from their breeding grounds off the Baja Peninsula. Although some whales remain off our coast during warmer months, the best time to spot these amazing behemoths is during the peak of their twice-annual migratory passage between Mexico and Alaska. Gray Whales are the most commonly seen type of whale along the Oregon Coast and can often be spotted just off the shoreline of Cannon Beach. Weighing in at 35 tons, some of Cannon Beach’s largest part-time residents frequent what might be considered the ‘outskirts’ of town.

Whale watching near me