In any event, the exploding whale with the help of syndicated humor columnist dave barry, who had great fun with it has become part of our entire nations pop culture and has been mistaken for an urban legend. The whaleplanner november a whale watching infographic. Monday is the start of the summer whale watching week on the central oregon coast. Summer and fall bring oregons resident gray whales close to shore to feed.
Po box 552, depoe bay, oregon 97341 541 7652545 or 800 7338915 oregons premier charter fishing service. 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. This time, on march 26, we got to see some in the form of their blows shooting up from the surface of the water and quickly turning into. As early as october, as the northern sea ice slowly creeps southward, the first gray whales begin migrating back south from the. In the winter we watch nearly 25,000 gray whales from middecember through.
Of course given the shear number of whales they dont all pass by in a week or even a month. Walk out the sliding glass door, and right on to the beach. The depoe bay whale watching center, also known as the depoe bay ocean wayside, is an oregon state parksstaffed visitor center in depoe bay, oregon, u. Box 7334, urangan, hervey bay 4655, queensland, australia. October is the perfect time to visit south africa main season for southern right whales. The summer months from late may through october offer the very best opportunities to see our resident whales. Best places to view migrating whales on oregon coast this spring statesman journal, 3232017 whale watch week count serial oregon state parks and recreation department read all about it, oregon. Whale watching is a yearround activity on the oregon coast with gray whales by far the most commonly seen. Its a fun little town worth exploring, as is the rest of the oregon coast. Bc whales have been identified in british columbia, and are given an x, y, or z depending on the amount of white on their flukes. The entire oregon coast celebrates the gray whale migration along its shores twice a year spring and winter with special whale watching weeks. Summer whale watching begins on central oregon coast. The oregon state university marine mammal institute gray whale vehicle license plate will be available for oregon passenger vehicles only starting feb.
George thornton, the man behind oregons exploding whale, has died thursday, october 31st, 20. Watch the video, read the articles, and learn about other exploding whales and related stories. Depoe bay is the whale watching capital and dockside charters offers premier whale watching excursions. Hi, i have a few questions about whale watching in october. Since april 3, whales mostly grays, and humpbacks have been entangled andor stranded on the beach in oregon and washington in numbers not seen in nearly two decades, with 16 cases of. Tradewinds has been abiding by all recommendations from the state of oregon and the oregon. Amazingly, their loud exhales can lead us in the right direction, and today we were about to find two humpbacks, manhattan and reflection. The truth about the legendary exploding whale of florence, oregon. They are right next to shore feeding within 12 mile and stay off depoe bay for months at a time.
You dont have to rent a whale watching boat or have a powerful telescope to see the whales display the listed behaviors. There are more than 1,100 humpback whales and 1,800 grey whales that cruise past this spot during the winter, spring and summer, said morris grover. The killer whales come to this region to feed on the salmon that are returning to the fraser river to spawn. The central coast in particular is a hotspot for whales from june to midnovember. Amazingly, their loud exhales can lead us in the right direction, and today we were about to find two humpbacks, manhattan and reflection, travelling slowly due east, and surfacing every 35. Then from late march to june the whales migrate north back to alaska.
Download our whale watching brochure to learn out about whale swimming. The conditions did improve somewhat by afternoon but it was still very wet out on the waters so we decided to cancel todays activities. Many florence residents were not pleased they felt this was the wrong way to get ones hometown on the map. This is the single craziest thing you never knew happened in oregon. Theyre usually in a hurry to get to their calving grounds in baja, mexico, but you can find them five miles. Go here from your mobile device and click your account to create a user login. Whales, dolphins and porpoises oregon department of fish.
First established as a wayside parking area on the oregon coast highway in 1930. Humpback whales the world over are known for their epic migrations, complex songs, and the acrobatic jumps that earn them their name. 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. I am finding conflicting information online as to whether whales are in the. The oregon parks and recreation department oprd whale watching center in depoe bay will also be open 10 a. Where to watch thousands of migrating gray whales this weekend. The plate is only for passenger vehicles titled and registered in oregon. Whale watching is not difficult, but a few tips make it easier. During the migration season late december to late may some 20,000 gray whales migrate just offshore. All whale watching was cancelled today as the ocean was very rough, windy and wet this morning.
Whalewatching week on the oregon coast statesman journal. Other marine mammals that you can see while whale watching in oregon include minke whales, harbor porpoises and even orcas. Mar 17, 2018 on november 9, 1970, a fortyfivefoot, eightton sperm whale washed ashore near florence on oregon s south coast. George thornton, the highway engineer who supervised the detonation of 20 cases of dynamite in an attempt to dispose of a dead sperm whale on the oregon coast, died on sunday, october 27, 20, in medford, oregon. These whales are usually about miles offshore and mothers and calves are right next to shore. In fact, a pod of orcas also known as killer whales typically patrols the waters off depoe bay and newport around midapril, which is when they hunt baby gray whales. View two screens at once, freely switch back and forth, and omnitask without the need to open several new tabs. Afternoon halfday multnomah falls and columbia river gorge waterfalls tour from portland. We stayed there for a few months and then we swam thousands of miles to alaska for the winter. If you are here at the right time of year, you will more than likely see grey whales on their migration from alaska to warmer waters.
Whale strandings off washingtonoregon coast highest in. The explosion threw whale flesh over 800 feet 240 m away. T he oregon coast has an incredible reputation for stunning beaches, quaint communities, breathtaking vistas and endless outdoor recreation opportunities. Watch whales at the oregon coast from march 2431 across.
We are driving about 16 hours extra for this stop of our road trip and want to make. In the fall pacific humpbacks are readying for their winter migration to hawaii. Depoe bays resident gray whales scarback, depoe bays most famous resident gray whale some gray whales do not continue on to alaskan waters but stay off the coast of oregon between june and october. October 17 to october 22 dolphin fleet whale watch. While many of us have our favorite activities, one that is growing in popularity up and down the coast is whale watching. The center, which sits out from the sea wall at depoe bay, is a staterun facility that is designed to teach people about the many different types of whales that pass by the oregon coast. In preparation for the migration, oregon state parks will have one of its two whale watching weeks at the end of december.
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. Whale watch center numbers, oct late nov, oregon coast. The whale watching center has interpretive exhibits on whales, whale size windows with panoramic ocean views, and rangers on hand to answer questions. Any location with an ocean view may yield whale sightings, and morning light with the sun at your back is best. The whale watching center depoe bay 2020 all you need. Exploding whale the webs most comprehensive source. I was born last spring in the warm waters near hawaii.
Plan to stop in the depoe bay area from october 21 to 28. The whaleplanner october a whale watching infographic whaletrips. Thornton worked for the oregon highway division later renamed the oregon department of. Oregon coast whale stats from officials, february to early march. Basic tools like screenshot, translator and calculator are preinstalled, and you can easliy customize it as you. Oregon winner paris myers, crescent valley high school. Often less than onehalf mile from shore, these resident. The depoe bay whale watching center, also known as the depoe bay ocean wayside, is an. Sitting at the furthest point out on heceta beach, it has sweeping ocean views from the siuslaw river jetty to. Dockside charters runs whale watching excursions on a daily basis during our whale watching season. Hervey bay whale watch offer passes for one, two or three days, and runs daily whale watching trips in season. As andrew theen reports, visitors should see plenty of whales from depoe bay to yaquina head. At the time, oregon beaches were under the jurisdiction of the states highway division, which, after consulting with the united states navy, decided to remove the whale using dynamite assuming that the resulting pieces would be small enough for scavenger. If this is your first exposure to the exploding whale, then you are on the verge of learning about an event so bizarre and fantastic that you will.
December to early february is the time to find gray whales migrating south along the oregon coastline. The day we were there, september 30, there were a number of whale sightings. This whale makes the longest migration of any mammal on the planet. The huge, 78foot whale had already died when it came ashore nov. From december to april, blue whales give birth to their calves in the gulf of corcovado. Oregon parks and recreation department 2017 spring whale. Whale watching during summer and fall off depoe bay is also spectacular. The season typically goes from middecember through october. If you cant do that, you can fast forward to around. Some of the gray whales do not migrate all the way north to alaska and spend from late june through october right here off depoe bay.
Twice patrick and i have headed to the oregon coast attempting to see migrating gray whales. Oregon parks whale watching center in depoe bay will be open from 10 a. Oct 07, 20 the other whale was bcy0324 after writing this blog post, whale names like j2 seem so much more manageable. A widely reported case of an exploding whale occurred in florence, oregon in november 1970, when the oregon highway division now the oregon department of transportation blew up a decaying sperm whale with dynamite in an attempt to dispose of its rotting carcass. Whale cove is a small cove, approximately onethird of a mile 0. The whaleplanner october a whale watching infographic. It has got to be one of the most bizarre things that has ever happened in oregon. Katie voelke designated a habitat refuge by the state of oregon, whale cove south of depoe bay is an exceptionally pristine ocean covethe only virgin cove in oregon, according to one marine scientist. Though it was chilly with a light swell, our visibility was nearly unlimited so good in fact that from the northwest corner of stellwagen bank we could see all the way to the boston skyline. Oct 04, 2006 the original footage of the exploding whale first appeared on katu channel 2 portland, or. Quebec, british columbia, new england, washington and oregon are among the best places in the. Portland whale watching deals in portland, or groupon. We offer our interpretive whale watching tours nearly yearround. From mid march to the end of may we have gray whales migrating from mexico to alaska.
Oregon s infamous exploding whale the oregon department of transportation once tried to remove a troublesome dead whale from the shoreline by blowing it up, with calamitous results. The cove is located at approximately 44 deg 44 min n latitude. The ocean portion of the cove is protected as a marine reserve, and land portions of the cove are protected as parts of rocky. Whales watch is a one bedroom, square foot wheel chair accessible beach front duplex just steps from the beach. Dead sperm whale washes ashore on oregon coast oregon city, or the 36foot whale had been dead for quite some time, according to the seaside aquarium. First of all, is october 711 too late to go whale watching in maine.
Is it possible to see whales in late october depoe bay forum. A blue whale washed ashore in oregon last week about seven miles north of gold beach in curry county, and the massive carcass could be seen all the way from u. Dmv cannot accept or process applications received before feb. Whale watching on the oregon coast our ordinary life.
Or coast whale watching information seaside, oregon. I am finding conflicting information online as to whether whales are in the area that time of year. Whale cove has a natural complexity to it that is rare and almost magical. Take a trip with us for an exciting time while we set some pots for crab and look for whales along the oregon coast. Migration of the gray whale begins in baja california and ends in the bering sea of alaska. Weve followed migrating grays by boat, and seen oregons resident pod feed in kelp beds at boiler bay. From june through september we have our resident gray whales. They are heading to their breeding grounds in baja california, mexico, where warmwater lagoons become nurseries for expectant mothers. We rented a condo on the pacific and had two days of good weather with plenty of whale sightings.
The gray whales leave their feeding grounds in alaska in late october passing oregon middecember through january heading for their nurseries, the warmwater lagoons of baja california, mexico. Best whale watching depoe bay oregon tradewinds charters. Watch whales at the oregon coast from march 2431 across oregon, or oregon parks and recreation officials will host whale watching events at. My mom named me that because i sing beautiful songs while im playing around in the water. Often less than onehalf mile from shore, these resident whales, as we call them, provide excellent sightings. On november 9, 1970, a 45foot 14 m long, 8shortton 7,300 kg sperm whale washed ashore at florence on the central oregon coast. October 3rd could only be described as spectacularly foggy, meaning our only hope of finding whales was to travel to where they were in previous days and listen for their blows. Best time to see oregon whales whales tail charters. With a donation or an adoption of a whale you can help to make the world a place where whales and dolphins are free and safe. Though it was chilly with a light swell, our visibility was nearly unlimited so good in fact that from the northwest corner of stellwagen. These are the approximately 200 whales that remain in oregons coastal waters during the summer migration. 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. Season ends at the north american east coast with still good chances to see humpbacks and blues.
Depoe bays resident gray whales whales tail charters oregon. The original footage of the exploding whale first appeared on katu channel 2 portland, or. Our whale watching tour focuses on magnificent orcas killer whales, majestic humpback whales, and other marine wildlife such as porpoises, sea lions, seals and bald eagles. Hey, i know this is a feature length video at over 4. Hopefully will see you tomorrow on your future dates you are at the oregon coast. The other whale was bcy0324 after writing this blog post, whale names like j2 seem so much more manageable. Most sightings happen from july to october and, as the whales tend to come very close to the coast, you can easily see them from land. Oregon coast whale stats from officials, february to early march as happens every year, february is not big on whale sightings on the oregon coast, but march kicked into life. Each year, two huge migration events of gray whales occur along the oregon coast, giving those who head west a chance. Get ready for whale watch week and learn more about the whale migrations by downloading the free oregon sea grant brochure, gray whales, in. Most of the whale watching trips involve the california gray whales. During the spring migration is when the whales move closer to shore and will stop to feed.
Jul 12, 2017 the best place to see whale sharks is the home of the largest aggregation of whale sharks in the world, isla mujeres, mexico, just off the coast of cancun, says john vater, cofounder of ceviche. After less than stellar conditions the previous week, we were excited to get back on the water on october 17 to find that the weather had changed considerably for the better. On each trip, approximately 18,000 gray whales pass close to the oregon coast. Ocean crab, whale watch and private bay crab yaquina bay. Whales watch whales watch vacation rentals florence oregon. Whale watch week begins today oregoncoastdailynews. Published 12042012 not many whales were spotted in october and november by the whale watch center in depoe bay, oregon coast but things did start to improve.
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