During summer, gray whales can be spotted along the shore of the Oregon Coast.
As Oregon heated up in late August, I took a much-needed trip to the Oregon Coast for the cool saltwater breeze and amazing views of gray whales.
The best place to see these gentle giants is the so-called whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast -- Depoe Bay. The world's smallest navigable harbor is a corridor for migrating whales and known for resident gray whales who feed right off shore in summer.
While many settle for watching whales from shore, I decided to take a $50 charter boat to see these giants up close.
All aboard the Tacklebuster
The first leg of my trip didn't start on the water but instead began with scouting out Dramamine. If rough ocean waves and lunch don't mix, I highly recommend getting some before embarking on the water.
I found Dramamine at a Shell gas station right up the road from Depoe Bay Harbor. The store attendant told me that beef jerky and crackers also works as a cork in the stomach to help with seasickness.
After acquiring the goods, I was ready to sail out to sea.
The smell of sea salt and fish wafted in the air as I waiting for my charter boat to take me out into the open seas.
I scheduled my tour online with Dockside Charters in Depoe Bay, known for whale-watching tours, fishing and crabbing trips.
At 11:15 a.m., the group was called to board the Tacklebuster, a large white and red charter boat. The weather was mild, waves bearable and the marine layer thin, making it the perfect day to scout some whales.
'Thar she blows'
Almost immediately after navigating out of the harbor, our group was quickly surprised by seals hanging out on a red buoy and our first gray whale sighting.
"Thar she blows!" our boat captain yelled over the intercom.
Quickly, all of us rushed to the port side of the boat, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gray whale. And sure enough, there it was, spouting water from its blowhole. Gray whales can spout water as high as 15 feet in the air. We were able to see the dorsal fins along its backside as it broke the surface.
A few times, we were lucky to see the whale do a full dive, so its fluke, or tail, was up in the air -- usually a photographer's dream shot, following a full breach. Unfortunately, our group didn't get to see a breach, but we did see nearly seven whales.
"Over there," whale watchers would yell and point.
Continuously throughout the two-hour excursion, whales came up for air, spouted water and dove back down, putting on a show for all the tour boats in the water.
Gray whales are curious. If you're lucky enough, they'll swim right up to the boat, giving whale watchers an up-close look at the giant. And that's exactly what happened.
Unexpectedly, the tour boat next to us had a gray whale emerge just a few feet from the boat, spouting water into the air. Gasps were heard from the Tacklebuster and the neighboring boat as everyone awed at the close proximity of the whale. So close, you could see the texture along its back.
"These are the good whales," our captain said over the intercom.
Shortly after, just a few feet off the stern of our boat, a gray whale emerged. Another good whale as our captain would say.
I jumped. It startled me. I didn't think we'd be lucky enough to have one this close to us.
"That was crazy, that made me gasp," Cindy Baker said. She was visiting with her family from Utah.
Finally, as we sailed back to the harbor, we got one last glimpse as a gray whale dove, showing off its fluke.
"What a great finale," our boat captain announced over the intercom.
I guess they don't call Depoe Bay the whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast for nothing.
What to know about resident whales in Oregon
Summer is the perfect time to get out on the water and experience whales up close. Usually, whales migrate back north to Alaska and the Arctic waters to feed, but some decide to branch off and feed along the Northern California waters to British Columbia during the summer months. These 200 whales are known as the Pacific Coast feeding group.
"From starting about end of May, early June, we start seeing some of the Pacific Coast feeding group whales starting to trickle in to the central coast here in Oregon," Oregon state park ranger Justin Duering said.
These groups will hang out until the first couple of weeks of November, then migrate south to Mexico, where they mate and give birth to their calves.
Depoe Bay is a hot spot for gray whales because of the vast bulb kelp forests. Within these forests live tiny mysid shrimp, which are a favorite prey of the gray whale.
Whale enthusiasts don't have to get on a boat to catch a glimpse of whales, either. Along the coast, high cliffs give mile-long views of the ocean. If you see bull kelp, there may be a chance that a gray whale is feeding in it, pretty close to shore, too.
"My favorite whale watch range is from Boiler Bay State Park down to Devil's Punch Bowl, and any of the kind of pull-out parks in between there," Duering said.
Other popular times to see whales along the coast are during peak migration periods.
Oregon State Parks hosts Whale Watching Week in December and late March, with volunteers stationed along the coast to help visitors spot gray whales. Orcas and blue whales have been seen, too.
"I always tell people, you never know what you're going to see," Duering said.
Booking a whale watching trip on the Oregon Coast
There are four main whale watching charters visitors can choose from. I booked with Dockside Charters online for their two-hour tour. They also offer one-hour tours.
Tickets vary in price from as low as $15 to $50 per person, depending on age.
Visitors need to arrive half an hour early to check in for their tour. Once you check in, you can meet along the fence line of the dock, and the captain will announce for visitors to board.
For more information about whale watching with Dockside Charters, go to docksidedepoebay.com.
Mariah Johnston is the outdoor journalism intern at the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at [email protected].